Jennifer Craw and the Headmaster of Hogwarts 14
by jcwriter
Summary: Series 3 Book 7 Destinies are questioned as even the stars cast a dark eye on the future the only clue through the memories of a ghost and a creature of evil. The Time is at hand. The die cast. The final battle is about to begin.
1. Summer Surprises

_A/N So...here we are. The very last book in the Destiny series. I can hardly believe it myself. Anyhow, I've actually had this first chapter written for a couple of weeks but I wanted to get farther in the revisions before putting it up. I'm up to revising King now, though (yay) but still having all sorts of technical difficulties with the website because my secondary host site is down and I'm having to borrow space from other people lol but hopefully things will be stable there Asap. Expect only weekly updates on this for a bit. Also, I have a feeling it's going to be a long book, although I haven't mapped the whole thing yet. Jennifer, Severus and the kids have their work cut out for them...but there is one thing about this book I can guarrantee; expect not only an obvious conclusion now and then...but also a lot of surprises...as I think you will begin to see with this very first chapter. Enjoy! JCWriter._

Jennifer Craw and the Headmaster of Hogwarts

Chapter One

Summer Surprises

Alexandria Snape preferred to ride her bicycle to work everyday, although she hardly had to. She had gotten her license to Apparate two summers ago, and could have easily opted to step out the door of the Snape residence on Baker Street and pop straight to the Ministry of Magic where she worked as an aid in the International Magic Cooperation department. But Alexandria loved the bustling streets and lights and shops and cars and…well, practically everything about London…Muggle London that is; the majority of the town, where magic was to most of them nothing more than a fantasy. To Alex, however, it was their side that seemed more fantastic, and she often paused to gape in shop windows and even sometimes stopped to buy gadgets before she was even quite sure what exactly they did.

The summer had just started a couple of weeks before, and her entire family was more than ready for the break. Alexandria herself was quite eager to get away from the school for a while, even though she was all too aware that this fall was going to be her last. And then, she said, taking a deep breath, she would be doing this all the time! Riding through London every day to the Ministry to work…meeting fascinating people from all over the world…she didn't really worry about not getting put on full time. As an Omnivox, someone who could understand every language, she had become practically indispensable.

She was so busy daydreaming about what the delegate from Morocco would look like and imagining he'd have a good looking son that'd be enchanted with her, that she completely missed the fact that anyone was shadowing her. Even as she gazed in the shop windows at the jewelry and other fascinating Muggle things she did not see another pair of wheels coming up behind her. Then, she noticed herself coming to an intersection and stopped cold. But the person on the bike behind her couldn't stop fast enough and slammed into her with a loud CRASH!

"I am so sorry! Are you all right, Alex?" the boy asked anxiously.

"My bike!" Alex said, too irritated to answer as she pulled her leg from under the tangled bikes. "My clothes! Great, I'm going to be late for work!"

"I think the frame's bent."

"I think you are bent!" Alex snapped angrily getting to her feet. "What do you think you're doing riding that close to someone like that? Don't you know how to brake? You owe me a new bike!"

"Here, have mine for now, Alex, just tell me where you work…or even better, where you live now," the boy said, and Alex stared at him in alarm. "I am sorry, I just had to find out if it was really you, that's all."

"Ben Clemmons?" Alex said unsurely, and he smiled at her, pulling back his hair.

"It's not Little John," he grinned.

"Ben!" Alex said, giving her old friend a hug, her anger turning into laughter, letting him help her grab the bikes up and over to the curb. "I don't believe it! What are you doing here?"

"I work near here."

"So do I!"

"So I gathered," Ben grinned. "Can I walk you there? Or at least as close of one of my sort can get?"

"Of course you can," Alex said, taking her own bike back. "I'm going to be late in any case, I might as well enjoy it."

"Good, then I'll know where to find you," Ben said.

"Why didn't you contact the school, you goose?"

"I lost the address when we moved, although, I'm not sure someone didn't misplace it on purpose," Ben admitted uncomfortably. "Come on, I'll tell you all about it."

Andrew stared at question number one hundred and twenty three and then rolled up the form, pushing himself away from his desk by the window. He paused a moment by the table where a miniature scaled town of Hogsmeade was, watching as some of the people walked down the street and setting up some of the gaslights which had fallen over outside of his brother's shop. His current project, Toby's Trinket Shop, had proved to be extremely tricky. For every now and then, the entire structure would disappear on him even as he was painting it, and he would then have to work on something else until it decided to show up. His model of Pyther's Studio, which had burned to the ground six months ago, he had given to his youngest sister for a keepsake. Now there was only an empty lot there, and he wondered thoughtfully if Pyther was going to rebuild it. Making sure all the grass was watered first, he turned back to what he was doing, slipping out of his room and to the next door over, knocking three times before peering in.

His older brother Aurelius was sitting at a plain walnut vanity with his head propped up, staring in the mirror with a glum look on his face.

"All right?" Andrew asked with a frown.

"Yeah. What is it?" Aurelius asked.

"Well, I was hoping you could help me with my Animagus registration form," Andrew said, walking over to him.

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad, can it?" Aurelius said, looking up at him through the mirror. Andrew held his arm up and let the form roll out, the triple layer scroll hitting the floor. Andrew, his growth spurt finally beginning to slow at six foot three, gazed at it glumly. Aurelius sighed. "All right, maybe I'll help you after dinner, then." Andrew slowly worked at rolling it back up, noticing the letters on the vanity.

"Those are from Auror Belle, I suppose?" Andrew said. Aurelius picked at the finish on the vanity.

"Yeah, I got it this morning. I suppose it's official now…everyone in the world knows but our parents. Nearly, at any rate," Aurelius said. "I suppose they're outside."

"Yes, working on Mum's therapy routine," Andrew said, glancing at his watch. "If you're planning on telling them before dinner, you'd better hurry before they start thinking about the second half of that routine," he smirked. "Might as well get it over with. I'm sure they'd rather hear it from you than second hand."

"Yeah, I know," Aurelius said, "and Audi's agreed to see me, so I guess I'd better. Think they'll freak?"

"Mum will be ecstatic," Andrew grinned.

"In some ways, that's even worse," Aurelius said, getting up.

It was strange how days, weeks, and even years seemed to fly by for Jennifer Craw Snape, but a single hour could seem so interminable. She paused in the middle of the exercise form she had been practicing with her husband as a shot of pain went through her, the hesitation enough to get his attention. Severus Snape stopped to watch her through coal black eyes, and Jennifer immediately stopped as well.

"Oh, no you don't, you still owe me ten minutes," he said, glancing at his watch. "Come on, only a little more."

"Easy for you to say," Jennifer said irritably, rubbing her side with a frown. "Can't I sit down for a bit first?"

"No, you won't be willing to do anything then. You need to get back in shape if you expect those phantom pains to go away," Severus scolded her gently. "Now, take your stance."

"Doctor Sagittari said it'd take time no matter what we did," Jennifer grumped.

"Yes, but he did say exercise might help…"

"Might, Severus, might," Jennifer frowned at him as he kicked her foot into position and nudged her to continue. Jennifer defiantly stood there.

"You're merely delaying the inevitable. You might as well get it over with. I'm not letting you out of this early," Severus said firmly. Jennifer knew him well enough to know he wasn't going to relent; he was talking in the same tone he often spoke of when he taught his Defense class; and he could be a relentless taskmaster if pressed. "Now, begin, I'm not counting this little rest bit of yours as a part of your time, you know. I know it's rough but it must be done, and the sooner you get it over with, the sooner you can get a rubdown."

Jennifer perked up as he finally got her attention.

"A full rubdown?" she asked.

"Perhaps," Severus said, firmly pointing at her to continue.

"How full?" she asked in a low voice.

"Well, that depends, doesn't it?" Severus said evenly, snapping his fingers. "Ten more minutes. With some enthusiasm for a change?"

Jennifer sighed at him, knowing now that no amount of flirting was going to change his mind. Doing her best to ignore the occasional twinge going through her and gathering up a second wind, Jennifer picked up the routine from just before she had paused. Severus made no attempts to join her or shadow her as she did so, watching every move and relentlessly pointing out every flaw until she was nearly ready to hit him by the end, her growing irritation quite evident on her face. But at the very last stance, he stopped her from breaking off from the front-right attack, pushing her wand arm back up when she tried to relax.

"Hold it," he ordered, ignoring the grumpy exhale as she tried to keep her balance, shoring her footing a bit. "Hold it," he said again warningly, moving behind her, "I didn't tell you to move yet." He lifted up the back of her auburn hair and kissed the back of the neck, poking her when she jumped. "Hold it, I haven't released you yet," he said again in a lower voice, pulling her collar back a little as he kissed it again.

"Severus!" Jennifer protested softly.

"No talking, either," he said in her ear. "No, don't relax, you're supposed to be holding your stance."

Someone behind them cleared his throat very loudly. Immediately, Jennifer moved away and took a step back, turning bright red as she saw Aurelius standing there by the door, shaking his head at them. Severus looked over at him in annoyance.

"I really should start carrying around a camera. No one at school ever believes us when we tell them how the two of you carry on when you think nobody's watching," Aurelius said.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Severus snapped in annoyance.

"Father, you're in the backyard," Aurelius pointed out. "How many people do you know knock when they're going outside?"

"What was it that you needed, Aurelius?" Jennifer said quickly, hoping to cut off whatever response Severus was coming up with to answer that.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about what I want to do this summer," Aurelius said uncomfortably, making sure the door was shut behind him as he stepped out.

"Isn't working at Corey's enough of a time restraint?" Severus frowned at him.

"Well with Mrs. Bailey there now, Corey doesn't really need two of us there. Andrew can handle the stock by himself, easy. In fact…well, I already spoke to Corey about it," Aurelius admitted. Jennifer frowned at him as well. "No, Mum, we're not fighting again, it hasn't anything to do with that. There's just something more important I need to do."

"Something you need to do?" Severus prompted, noting his reluctance.

"Auror Belle has asked me to spend the summer with them, and I really think I ought to," Aurelius said evenly.

"What?" Jennifer stared at him. "Don't you think that'd be a little bit too dangerous? I mean, you've only finished your fifth year…"

"It's not about the Auror thing at all, Mum, and no I wouldn't be going with them on any dangerous cases," Aurelius sighed at her. "In fact, Audacious says that if you agree to send me, she's going to take the summer off…and yes, Mum, of course I can be back on the weekends, and yes, Father…" he said, gazing at Severus steadily. "That's exactly why I need to go."

Severus nodded to himself as realization set in, everything falling into place while Jennifer stared at her son unsurely. Aurelius turned his gaze to his mother then and a curious exchange ensued; her eyes widening. Severus grabbed her arms as her legs threatened to buckle underneath her.

"Aurelius? You…all this time…no…" Jennifer said in pure shock, Aurelius stiffening defensively, worried about her reaction. "This is why? This is why you blocked everyone off all those years? Why didn't you tell us you were a Truth-seeker?"

"I didn't know it myself," Aurelius said. "At least…I didn't want to know it. I didn't want to deal with it. I hate it, Mum, and I hate how people think of me…"

"Oh, Aurelius!" Jennifer said, her eyes tearing up as she went over and hugged him harder than Aurelius liked. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you with all that!"

"Jennifer, I believe he began blocking it off at a such an early age that it would have been nearly impossible for you to help him," Severus said softly. "You might want to let him breathe a bit."

"But I know what it's like, gosh, Aurelius, I know how hard it must have been to grow up with this! I did it myself and I at least had my mother to help me, if you had only come to me! Stars, what I went through in school…children can think such terrible things at one another…"

"Adults are worse," Aurelius said stiffly. "Especially ones you care about."

Jennifer stopped then, stepping away and looking at him, her face paling. Ever since he was very young, there had been a tension between them and she knew it. Constantly she had worried about his outbursts and his reactions to things, and the older he had gotten, the more they had worried her. Such fears would have strained them even had neither of them had any telepathic ability at all, but between them, with Jennifer completely unsuspecting the true cause behind his actions, it had been devastating. In that moment, Jennifer realized that the walls he had built around his ability and himself was just as much her doing as his own. She couldn't teach him all of that now, she realized, although part of her ached to do it, part of her ached to share what she had gone through so he could learn from it, but it was much too late for that.

Aurelius stared at her fixedly, and she knew he saw some of what was going through her head, but she nodded slowly anyhow and put a brave smile on her face, doing what she could to keep her composure. She glanced over at Severus who nodded at her gently.

"Home on weekends," Jennifer said quietly.

"Yes, Mum," Aurelius said solemnly.

"And for Corey's birthday, we're having it here this year, you know," she said, and he nodded again.

"Keep your class ring on at all times," Severus added, ignoring the grimace on Aurelius' face, knowing he could trust his son to do so regardless of the fact he didn't like it.

In fact, none of the four seemed to care too much about their birthday presents from their parents; for despite the classic look of the silver bands scrolled with their houses' names and years, the large rectangular stone on each one was more than a bit gaudy in size, and a little flashy in color. But there was a very good reason to keep them on, for each one was actually a security device. A tiny catch had been built into each one, and when it was moved over, the gem could be pressed down in an emergency. It was, in essence, a panic button that sent an immediate sound, a different one for each child, to the rest of the members of the family; very much like the dinner bell at the Weasley's house that they could hear no matter where in the world they are. After three of them were kidnapped and nearly killed last year, Severus wasted no time in putting an order in to Tassels and Panning for them (Alicia ended up with two presents because her birthday arrived before they did.)

"All right, Aurelius," Jennifer said. "Ask her over and we'll work out the details."

"Thanks Mum, Father," Aurelius said, going back inside. Severus gazed at Jennifer thoughtfully, wondering if he should say anything.

"Did you know?" Jennifer asked softly, not looking at him.

"I suspected it," Severus admitted. "Ever since Dumbledore mentioned last year that he was developing a sense of people." Jennifer glanced over at him.

"I forgot all about that," Jennifer admitted. "I should have seen it before. And when the telepathy machine failed last year…it was his fear, wasn't it? His fear of it coming out."

"Possibly," Severus mused. "If so, he must be quite strong indeed."

"Oh, Severus, what have I done?" Jennifer grieved, welcoming his arms around her. "I've been such a terrible mother."

"Oh, nonsense. You didn't know any more than I did."

"But I should have been watching for it! I knew it was a possibility that one of them would be like me, I should have known that's what it was!"

"You were watching. I recall that for a while we suspected that Alex might have been one," Severus pointed out.

"Yes, and then after I realized she wasn't I decided I was hoping too much and stopped paying attention," Jennifer said, angry at herself. "Maybe if I had been around more than the weekends maybe…"

"Jennifer," Severus frowned. "Don't you think it's a bit late to be second guessing our decisions now? Alex will be graduating next year and the others are soon to follow, and besides, I for one don't think we've done all that badly with them considering everything we've been through to this point. I am quite pleased with how the four of them have turned out. Of course, they've all had their moments," he mused, "and they've been through a lot, as have we."

"Too much," Jennifer brooded. "They've been through way too much for children their age."

"And have risen to every occasion," Severus said.

"Their lives have been continuously threatened since they were little. That's no way to grow up," Jennifer said, shaking her head.

"Yes, who would know that better than the two of us," Severus said quietly. Jennifer glanced at him again and leaned into them. "And before you say anything, what they've been through has been as much their own mischief getting them into things as who their parents are, and I believe they'll be stronger for it. I find I'm not too worried about their future out of school; they know how to handle themselves better than most of the adults I know. So we are not the mythical perfect parents, no one is. In fact, I think in some ways we've learned more from them than they have from us."

"Yes, I can't help but agree with that," Jennifer admitted softly. "I just hope they don't grow up to resent us, that's all." Severus pulled her chin up and kissed her lovingly, leading her inside.

The summer went swiftly by, but even with Aurelius not in the house it was hardly without incident. Constant arguments broke out between the other three about the master bedroom upstairs, which their grandfather left unoccupied when he moved out. All of them had been eyeing it and the private bathroom since the summer began. But Jennifer put her foot down that it would stay a guest room, even though the three of them still kept coming up with reasons why they should have it, from needing room for models to paintings to 'just being older.' The other fight of the summer was with the youngest daughter, Alicia, and it was an argument between she and Jennifer alone.

Ever since they got back from school, Alicia had tossed aside her colorful dresses and robes, throwing away some and hiding others in the back of her closet. In their place, black skirts, black cotton turtlenecks, plain black robes, boots, socks, belts, bangles, necklaces and even hair ties appeared.

Unfortunately, Jennifer's argument that such a dramatic change in style was unhealthy met deaf ears, for Severus didn't see anything wrong with wearing black everyday.

"I'm an artist, Mum, I don't need such distractions," Alicia would say, gazing at the blaringly yellow topaz in her class ring in annoyance. She didn't like them any more than Aurelius did.

Jennifer had been hoping that as the summer got hotter that she would give up her gloomy change of fashion, but after selling one of her paintings to the Leaky Cauldron, she merely bought more black wardrobe including black tank tops that looked more to Jennifer like undershirts. At least she didn't seem interested in dying her hair, although Jennifer decided to keep a reversal hair tonic in the cabinet just in case. She also had absolutely no interest in any sort of 'real' summer job. Anytime Alicia needed money, she merely grabbed up several dozen paintings and went to Diagon Alley and set up in front of the Quidditch shop, who reasoned that having Alicia in front of their shop (who was an unbelievable Seeker in her own rights) was good for business. By evening, she would come home with a pocket of Galleons and a mere painting or two left before retreating up to the attic to make more. And except for coming out for her occasional lessons with Mr. Pyther and her weekly trip with Andrew to North Broom to practice, Alicia barely stepped foot out of the attic.

She was so very different than the bright sensitive girl Jennifer remembered first sending to Hogwarts, and her mother really wasn't quite sure what to make out of it. Hoping it was just a phase of some sort, Jennifer tried not to worry despite the fact Alicia didn't seem to be coming out of it.

But just as strange as Alicia's change in behavior, perhaps, was her older sister's. Alexandria, who had been known by everyone for her outspokenness, suddenly grew quiet and very thoughtful, helping out her parents and siblings without complaint when asked and even taking over some of the household responsibilities. Jennifer found she even had to sometimes prompt her to find out if anything interesting was happening at the Ministry.

Not that anything was going on, it seemed, although Alexandria did note that things seemed tense in the Investigation Department of Law Enforcement, who were still on high alert looking for any signs of Ciardoth. Jennifer knew the feeling well; she saw it often cross Severus' face on stormy nights when he would often pace the floor of their bedroom, not returning to his bed until after the last of the lightning had passed.

But the summer carried on without incident, and before Jennifer knew it, it was Corey's birthday once more. Corey's birthday had turned into more than just a celebration of that over the years but into a get-together, for it was often the last time that the entire family would get together before the beginning of school.

As Andrew minded the door, Alexandria helped Jennifer in the kitchen, the two of them breaking only long enough to greet their guests as they came in, giving warm hugs to Corey, Rose, and Ashley. Aurelius came up from the basement soon after to wash his hands, ignoring Alexandria's loud sigh when he got in her way.

"Has grandfather and Fleur arrived yet?" Aurelius asked.

"Now you know your grandfather only arrives on the hour and not a moment before or after," Jennifer said, a little annoyed at the reminder that her father's new wife was coming along as well.

It was the very fact that Jennifer didn't approve of his new marriage that had made the children wisely decide to address her by name, especially since Fleur was younger than their mother. But Fleur tried very hard to be tolerant and patient with her, realizing just how difficult their relationship must have been on Thomas' headstrong daughter. The children, however, had no qualms with her at all after getting to know her at Hogwarts last year; especially Aurelius and Andrew, who raced to the door the moment there was a knock in a fight to open in first, both receiving kisses on the cheek for their efforts.

Jennifer's annoyance at that was compounded when Thomas immediately put an arm around Aurelius and led him back in the living room, despite the fact that the other three never seemed to mind the favoritism much.

"A Truth-seeker too, eh?" Thomas was saying as they walked through. "Audi was telling me you're pretty good too, even stronger than your mother here," he said, ignoring the dirty look Jennifer threw him. "Going to take that test, I suppose?"

"When I'm old enough, next summer perhaps," Aurelius said calmly.

"And an Auror too?" Thomas said, not sounding quite as enthusiastic about that idea.

"Father, that's supposed to be a secret," Jennifer reminded him.

"What, we're all family here. It's Slytherin house he has to worry about," Thomas said. "None of them will be too impressed if they find out what he's majoring in."

"Well, as far as they're concerned I'm going into cursed items research, which explains the classes I'm taking," Aurelius explained to him.

"And just what are you going to do when it's one of your family who's wanted for something and you're the one that has to figure out where we are?" Thomas challenged with a frown. Jennifer glanced between them.

"Well, considering I still have two years of school left, I think I have a while to figure that out, assuming I pass the test of course," Aurelius said.

"You'll pass it," Thomas said, sounding slightly irritated. "You've got Craw blood in your veins. If that's what you'll want to do, you won't stop until you get it. Sure you're not interested in business?"

"I'm sure," Aurelius said with a firm smile, unconcerned about his grandfather's grumpiness. "Let's face it, Grandfather, you just don't like this idea because you don't like the current justice system."

"You're right," Thomas agreed, grabbing a glass off the counter and taking a drink out of the liquid that appeared there. He watched as Jennifer suddenly turned from the cake she was icing and smacked the air in front of the bowl hard with a spatula, a yelp crying out in response.

Andrew appeared then, sucking the icing off his finger before rubbing his arm.

"Andrew, stop lurking in the kitchen and go entertain the other guests!" Jennifer scolded him.

"Sorry, Mum, just making sure it's not poisoned or anything," Andrew said, Jennifer squinting at him and pointing him towards the door.

"I suppose you want to be an Auror too, don't you boy?" Thomas said to Andrew, frowning at him disapprovingly. Andrew looked at him in surprise, grinned at Aurelius and then back to his grandfather again.

"Not me. It just wouldn't be challenging enough," Andrew said and walked out the door, ignoring the glare on Aurelius' face.

"What could be more challenging than that?" Thomas wanted to know.

"He won't say. They all made some silly pact not to declare it until the interview," Jennifer said irritatingly, glancing at Aurelius, but unsurprisingly, she couldn't read him at that moment. "At least there's no doubt what the last one is going to be."

"Hey, Mum," Andrew said, poking his head in the door again with a smile. "Come see what Alicia's sketching!"

Curiously, Jennifer went over to the kitchen door and broke into a wide smile, quickly asking Mercy to take over as she stepped past the table and over to the great maple tree there. Sitting on a limb, Corey grinned down at her, while below Alicia paused thoughtfully to gaze at him before attempting to capture that grin in the paint.

"Looking at strange houses, again, Mr. Willowby?" Jennifer said, her mind instantly going back to the moment the two of them first met.

"Safest place to admire the Griffonlilies at least," Corey teased back. "By the way, you've got a Tangleweed problem again."

"Well, get to it, then," Jennifer laughed at him.

"Not on my birthday! Tell her, Rose!" Corey said, looking at his wife.

"I think you should do what she says," Rose decided and he stuck his tongue out her.

"See if I help you in the greenhouse again," Corey said.

"He bruises too many leaves anyhow," Rose confided in Jennifer, who nodded and grinned in agreement.

Andrew came up beside her with his camera in hand to take a photo and Corey waved congenially, while below Alicia gave him a dirty look.

"Photos have no soul to them," she declared.

"Well, how else can I get you in the picture?" Andrew grinned back.

"Yes, what a great idea, I want to see you all in the picture!" Jennifer said, taking the camera, and much to all of the guests chagrin, a photo session quickly developed with Jennifer taking photos of all the children under the tree. She switched off to get photos of her under the tree with Corey, and then Rose took the camera to get one of Jennifer and her Mum. As the camera got passed around, Andrew managed to get a picture of his grandfather attempting to discreetly whisper in Fleur's ear, and then Jennifer grabbed the camera back and huddled with Andrew a moment, tip-toeing next to the kitchen door with it while Andrew slipped inside. Still in the tree waiting for Alicia to finish her sketch, Corey shook his head.

"It's not going to work, you know," he said as Jennifer tried to hush him. She aimed at the door, but then Alexandria came out, blinking at her in surprise and nearly said something to her as Jennifer tried to wave her passed. But just then, someone tapped her shoulder, and Jennifer leapt in surprise to see Severus standing behind her, reaching out to catch the camera before she dropped it.

"Looking for someone?" Severus asked casually.

"Must you sneak up on me like that?"

"Must you attempt to get a photo of me every single time there's family over?"

"One of these days, Severus…" Jennifer swore as most of the others around her started to chuckle.

"Don't get your hopes up," Severus advised as they walked over to the table.

Just then there was a loud knock, and Severus and Jennifer looked up in annoyance to see Aurelius waltzing out the kitchen door with a strange sneer on his face. The two of them glared at him but didn't say anything as he sat down.

"So how does it feel to be entering your last year, Alexandria?" Corey asked as they took their places. "Anxious? Excited?"

"A little of both," Alex admitted as she thought about it. "I think I'm ready," she admitted with an unusually serious nod and smile.

"Yes, well, you still have your NEWT to contend with," Severus reminded her with a frown. "Hopefully you'll do better with it than you did your OWLS."

"Speaking of which, what about that business in the paper, Severus? Any truth to it?" Thomas said. Jennifer and Severus both frowned at him.

"We'll discuss it later," Severus said firmly, trying to ignore the deepening frown on Aurelius' face as he read his grandfather. "We'll discuss it later," he reiterated again, meeting Aurelius' alarmed gaze. "Right now, we have a birthday to celebrate. Whose present you want to open first, Corey?"

"Well, actually, there is something I want to say first before that, since the whole family's here and I'd rather you all heard it first than from someone else and I know how things travel in this family," Corey grinned nervously, glancing at Rose. "On second thought, you tell them."

"Me? Oh no, it's your birthday, you tell them," Rose said, staring at him. Jennifer stared back and forth between them unsurely, trying to get a clearer view of their faces as her suspicions began to grow. But in their hesitation they both looked at her and Jennifer nearly fell off her seat.

"I'm going to be an uncle, aren't I?" Aurelius said. Corey rolled his eyes.

"Great! Now there's two of them!" Corey said as the others began to get excited. "Yes, we're expecting. Mom, Dad, you're going to be grandparents."

Somehow Jennifer managed a wan smile as a flood of mixed emotions went through her, absolutely elated for Corey and thrilled for Rose while at the same time combating the sensation of how old she felt in that moment, finally stammering through a congratulations. Had Jennifer been a bit more aware of things outside of her own thoughts, she would have noticed that beside her Severus took it much more calmly, while at the end of the table, the four children were chatting excitedly about the possibilities. Ashley, already in the know, hugged Corey from where she sat beside him. In the meantime a strange smile was creeping over Fleur's own face and she glanced at Thomas who seemed indifferent at best at the news he was going to be a great-grandfather. Fleur then leaned over the table, pulling back a strand of her flowing platinum hair to get a look at Rose.

"When is it you are due, Rose?" Fleur asked when everyone had finished congratulating her.

"December," Rose said cheerfully.

"How wonderful!" Fleur said enthusiastically. "I am due in January." Thomas suddenly dropped his fork and stared at her. In fact, everyone at the table had gone completely silent and was staring at her. Rose recovered first, letting out a squeal of glee and hugging her until Thomas recovered and pulled her into his arms, while the four at the end were quickly realizing they were going to be Aunts, Uncles, Nieces and Nephews all at the same time. Only Severus had noticed that Jennifer's face and even lips had gone white in complete disbelief. "Oh, Thomas, are you happy then?"

"Happy doesn't even begin to cover it, my dear," Thomas said, "but give me a moment for the shock to wear off so I can express it."

"You all right, Jennifer?" Rose asked concernedly.

"Give her a minute, too, Rose, it's not every day a person learns that they are going to becomes a grandmother and a sister at the same time!" Ashley chided her.

"To think, all this time I was so certain the Craw line was over," Thomas said, still shaking his head in disbelief. "Perhaps now I can have the son I've always wanted."

"You had better be happy with either," Fleur teased him, but she suddenly became alert when Jennifer got up, staring at her father with open anger. She walked inside, slamming the door behind her. Corey and Rose glanced at each other with a grimace. "Oh, dear."

"Um. Excuse me a moment," Severus said, wearing the expression of someone walking into a den of lions as he headed for the house.

"Don't worry, she's just acting like a Craw," Thomas said, ignoring the glances everyone at the table passed him when he said that. "And now she won't be the last."


	2. Last Stand

Chapter Two

Last Stand

Auror Audacious Belle cackled at Aurelius, the grandmotherly figure pausing to refill their cups where they sat at the kitchen table in the remote cottage she shared with Alastor Moody. It was also the only tidy room in the house besides the small spare room that Aurelius was in; Audi had given up trying to pick up after Alastor years ago. Cobweb covered books on defeating any sort of creature imaginable were stacked precariously all over the room Audi dryly referred to as the 'living room' (because it was the only room with a couch) while in the 'dining room' (the one with a dining table) gadgets of all kinds made to detect evil creatures, dark magic, spies, and more were piled up on the table and chairs as if they were meant to serve no other purpose. In the two rooms Aurelius had barely frequented, Alastor's office and their bedroom, the walls were covered with mirrors and low bookshelves piled with more gadgets than books. The only other room left besides the bathroom (which had no mirror at all) was the basement, which was mainly used as a gym, although it also contained a modest wine rack and a dusty old chair with a box next to it full of polish and things which Aurelius soon learned Alastor used on his wooden leg. Still, it really wasn't a bad place to stay for a summer, although Audi's old fashioned cooking really didn't suit his tastes.

"What happened then? Did he manage to get her come back out?" Audi asked, prompting him on what he had been telling her about Corey's party.

"Yeah, but she didn't really talk much after that. In fact, she ignored Grandfather completely," Aurelius said.

"Yes, dear, but what was she thinking?" Audi coaxed. Aurelius sighed softly. Audi knew how much he hated in when she asked him about someone in his family, especially his mother. Audi frowned at him, drumming her fingers. "Your walls are going up again. You know you're never going to get good at this if you keep doing that."

"I don't know, she's hard to read," Aurelius said irritably.

"Only because you want her to be," Audi said gently. "I know from experience that your mother never blocks her thoughts. Come on now, you must have picked up something."

"I don't know, she was angry, that was evident to everyone," Aurelius said. "It was like she was threatened by it in someway."

"Oh, I have little doubt of that," Audi said, gazing at him thoughtfully. "Well, I think I'll just let you try and work that out. Use the Pensieve tonight to see if you notice anything new," she suggested, getting up. "Let me get supper started, and then we'll go through the drills."

Aurelius quickly cleared the table for her, the sink automatically filling with soapy water as he stuck them in. As he was finishing, he heard a clunking sound on the front porch.

"Sounds like the master is home early this evening," Audi said cheerfully, and Aurelius stepped out of the kitchen to see Alastor Moody entering the house. "What's wrong? No evil-doers today?" she called out from the kitchen with a cackle.

"Criminals so petty even Thurspire can keep up with 'em," Alastor grunted, eyeing Aurelius thoughtfully before nodding a greeting.

"Still no signs of her? Other than the restlessness I mean?" Aurelius said.

"Oh, you heard about that, did you," Alastor grunted, tossing his cloak in a random direction.

"Hard to miss it, Alastor," Audi clucked. "The House Elves have gotten all jittery, let alone every owl in the country. Even old Fluke's gotten paranoid."

"Reminds me of birds running before a storm, only it seems to be everything. I've heard reports even the dragons are acting weird, and the Centaurs up north say the entire Dark Forest is on edge, and even stranger the stars seem confused," Alastor said as Aurelius followed him back into the kitchen.

"The stars are confused? What in the world that's supposed to mean?" Audi frowned.

"Beats me. Do I look like a Centaur?" Alastor grunted.

"Well, you're halfway there," Audi said mischievously. "Just don't ask me which half."

"Excuse me a moment, Rel, while I teach this old hag some manners," Alastor said, a flash in his wild eye.

"No problem, I'm used to it," Aurelius said dryly as he attempted to dodge Audi's spoon, and went to bring some wood in. Rolling his eyes at the sound of the squealing old woman and the flashes of wands that soon followed, Aurelius shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Now I know why they decided to move out in the country," he muttered to himself as he grabbed a handful of logs for the kitchen woodstove. But his voice sounded strange in his ears, although he wasn't quite sure why.

He stepped out from behind the shed and found himself staring into the trees. The wind was strangely cold for this time of year, sounding hollow as it blustered by. The late afternoon sky was clear and the sun still visible, and yet there was strange feeling in the air he couldn't explain. Not a bird could be heard anywhere in the area, and he could barely make out the sound of the brook. Aurelius headed back inside, the insult apparently settled, for Audi had turned back to her cooking while Alastor eyed the _Daily Prophet _and _the Oracle_ with a healthy look of skepticism.

"Rather odd weather out there," Aurelius said. Audi glanced at his face curiously, stepping aside so he could get to the oven. "Moody, were the problems in the Forest affecting the Unicorns as well?"

"Oh yeh, come to think of it," he mused, looking up from his paper. "Sagittari mentioned something about them stayin' close to the Grove instead of taking the foals in the Glen this summer."

"Probably the safest place for them," Audi agreed, knowing full well the extent of Aurelius' bond with Pali…perhaps even better than his parents did.

"I don't know about that. She's gotten in once," Aurelius murmured.

"Well, I agree this sort of thing looks suspiciously like her work," Alastor said carefully, gazing steadily at Aurelius despite the fact Rel's back was to him. "But it's too early to rule anything out as causing it yet. Far as we know for sure, she could be harrassin' folks halfway across the globe right now."

"No, this is her," Aurelius said, the older couple glancing at each other as he took a seat again at the table. "Ever since that night when I helped Father trap her in that paradox, I've felt a strange connection to her…well, not as strong as he does, I don't think, and right this moment it's almost like…like she's thinking of me for some reason."

Audi frowned, looking deep past his gaze.

"The boy's right, there does seem to be something there. Rel, go ahead and put your walls back up, dear. We'll do the drills tomorrow," Audacious said. Moody folded up his papers, leaving them on the table.

"I think I'm going to go to the workroom and take a look around, just to be safe," he said.

"Can I come this time?" Aurelius asked.

"Fine, just don't touch anything," Alastor said as he got up.

Audi frowned as she watched the two of them leave, stirring the small pot of leftover brew she was warming. She paused then as her eye caught something moving outside the kitchen window and she focused in on the Foresight Forecasting Wizard Barometer, blinking at it puzzledly when she saw it was spinning.

In the next room, Aurelius stayed near the door, watching the shadows in the Foe Glass thoughtfully as Alastor stood in the center of the room, gazing into each one. Aurelius couldn't help wondering why his father never seemed interested in the things, considering how many enemies he had had over the years. How many shadows would appear in a Foe Glass attuned to his family, he wondered. Two less, at least, he thought grimly, not wanting to think too long about what had happened last year as he watched Alastor closing his normal eye to better study them. How many shadows would he personally acquire when he became an Auror?

"Everyone seems to be behaving themselves at the moment," Alastor grunted, gazing long and hard at one of them in particular before turning back to Aurelius. "Well, son, it's like I said before. We're all on edge about this, it's probably just nerves or…hm…" he said suddenly alert again. "Well, that's never happened before."

Aurelius peered at the Foe Glasses himself, not expecting to see anything but the vague shadows he had always seen. But he frowned as he gazed into the closest one to him. All of the sudden, he didn't see a single shadow at all.

"It's as if someone's blocking it…" Aurelius murmured.

"No it can't be blocked…" Alastor began, but then stopped short. "But it is, isn't it? Impossible or not, and that means we are most likely about to get in some serious action. Audi!" Alastor barked as he hurried through the door. "Pick up your skirts and get your valuables, we're going to have company! Rel, get your cloak and get home."

"Home?"

"Don't argue with an Auror, boy, one way or another it's not good for your health," Alastor snapped. "Now get your things!"

"Alastor, look!" As Aurelius went to his room to grab his wand and cloak, Alastor ran to the dining room to see what Audi wanted. Every device upon the table was trembling as if caught in an earthquake, rattling against the wooden table, shaking so violently it was if they were fighting something…something keeping them from going off.

Suddenly every one of them went off at once, flashing, blaring and announcing the evil presence upon them in one giant blast powerful enough to shake the entire house. Painfully, Aurelius held his ears, aware that Alastor was shouting at him. But Aurelius had already tried to Disapparate to no avail, and somehow got the point across to Alastor over the noise. Then there was a crack of thunder so loud it muffled the sound of the devices themselves. In fact, a moment later, they all stopped as if they had burnt themselves out.

Motioning Aurelius to stay back, Alastor went to peer out the window. But as Audi took another position in line to cover him, Aurelius slipped into the kitchen, wand in hand.

Just outside the door stood the tall pale figure of a woman with cold, inhuman eyes and long golden hair, her lips pursed in thought as she pondered where she was and stared at the cottage a moment. Suddenly she laughed, a sharp, high-pitched, rather insane laugh, her head then coming up proudly as she caught the movement of a curtain at the window.

"I remember this now! Why, you're the two frail mortals who try to keep the boy from me!" Ciardoth said amusedly.

"Frail, my Eye," Moody retorted. "Back off, Ciardoth! Whatever you're wantin' you ain't gettin'!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, if I were you. Unlike you, I am not weakened with age, for I do not age. You and the woman have long outlived your usefulness in this world, and I would happy to see you leave it. In fact, I remember helping you do just that, of course the question is when? Hand over the youth and the medallion he wears, or neither of you will see another day," Ciardoth said calmly.

"We're Aurors, Ciardoth," Moody said evenly. "We don't believe in surrender, conditional or otherwise. You want him, you'll have to go through us, first."

"Hm, tempting, but perhaps now that won't be necessary," Ciardoth said.

Aurelius was so intent on the conversation in the front room that he hadn't seen the wisp of white smoke slipping under the kitchen window. Suddenly the smoke curled around his neck like a rope and Aurelius felt himself being jerked back onto the floor as it tried to strangle him. But the Aegis around his neck wouldn't let it, keeping it from cutting off its air but it couldn't stop him from being dragged across the floor towards the kitchen door. Crying out in alarm, Audi ran over to find some way to dispel it while Alastor burst open the door and pointed his wand at Ciardoth.

_"Obliviate!" _he shouted, but as he cast she instantly wasn't there.

"Fortunately, I knew you were going to try that," Ciardoth said coolly from behind him, standing in the doorway now. "I remember all too well."

"In that case, I'd rather go out fighting!" Alastor said with a flash in his eye. She smiled enigmatically at him.

"So be it! You will see how futile it was to defy me! And then when you are gone, I shall take the boy anyway!" Ciardoth laughed, raising her hands. There was a flash of light and she disappeared, but Alastor knew she was far from gone.

Inside, Audi finally found a way to negate the smoke only to have to jump up and drag Aurelius down again as he moved to get up, wand in hand again.

"Woah, woah, not so fast there, Rel, it's you she's after!" Audi hissed.

"Exactly. I'm not going to have the two of you put in danger on my account…"

"Accounts be damned, son, I promised you parents you'd be safe. If she's after you, chances are we wouldn't be in danger if you left…"

"Wrong. She has no value for life. She'd kill you anyhow…" Aurelius argued.

"Damn it, Rel, I am your godmother and you will do as you're told!" Audi snapped. "In our bedroom in the drawer, you'll find a Ministry key in it. Use it and tell them what's going on here, and we'll stall in the meantime until help arrives."

"What's that noise?" Aurelius asked, pausing to listen as the ground beneath them began to shake.

"Never mind! Just take the key and go!" Audi shouted, giving him a shove towards the bedroom as she ran up front.

As Aurelius began to search maddeningly in the two end table drawers, Audi ran up to join Alastor as the roaring and trembling got worse and worse.

"Cover me, I'm opening the door!" Alastor barked, feeling the pressure of the wind against the door. When he turned it, it snapped open, and the two of them took a step out and stared in horror. Spinning in the trees before them and pulling them out by the roots as if they were weeds was the largest tornado either of them had seen. Strange blue lighting flashed within it and even sometimes around the outer bands as it came closer towards them, tearing up everything in its path.

In a panic, Alastor closed the door again and used his wand to board and reinforce the windows.

"No! Leave one of 'em open or the house will blow up!" Audi said.

"I don't think much is gonna stop that in any case," Alastor admitted. "Know any spells?"

"Wind dissipation, but I don't think it's powerful enough to take on an F-5," Audi said.

Alastor wasn't quite sure what an F-5 was, but before he could say anything, his quick ears heard shouting and tuned into the boy standing in the hallway.

"The key doesn't work!" Aurelius yelled, wand in hand as he began to step over.

"No! Get down in the basement, now!" Audi barked.

"Not likely! What's that noise? Why are you just standing here?" Aurelius demanded. Growling in annoyance, Alastor turned his wand on him full force. A spell Aurelius didn't recognize forced his feet to move, having trouble keeping himself balanced as they ran in the opposite direction and he found himself tumbling down the basement stairs, the door slamming and locking behind him. As he tried to pick himself up, he suddenly remembered his ring. Slipping back the latch, he pressed it.

"Alastor! It's just hovering there on the edge, it's not moving!" Audi shouted.

"She's waiting for us to come out so she can finish us off, obviously! Think the boy will make it?"

"Long as he keeps his wits about him and that bauble around his neck," Audi shouted back.

"Audi, I don't think I've ever told you…"

"Craters, stuff it, you blighted old codger, this isn't any time for sentiment! We're about to meet our maker and you damn well know it!" she said angrily.

"Well, one more for the road, then, old girl?" Alastor yelled more congenially. "Cast up that sync spell and let's give it a go."

"I've always thought dying of old age was overrated," Audi said back, putting out her hand. "Give me your hand, luv, we'll go out with a bang."

"Alright luv, together then," Alastor said back, putting his hand in hers so she could cast the spell that caused their next one to maintain the strength of both their casting powers combined. With one last silent glance at each other, the two raised their wands, opened the door, and charged out of it together.

It was only an instant later that the cottage exploded.


	3. The First Aftermath

Chapter Three

The First Aftermath

Aurelius slowly came awake, the echo of his name being called in his mind. He was pinned by something, he realized, but still felt the presence of the leather chair against his knees. Wine bottles had begun to shatter barely a moment after he pressed his class ring, and shielding his eyes with his arm he had run behind Alastor's chair for protection, putting his back against the wall so it wouldn't be exposed. It had been then that something had fallen on him and he had blacked out.

"Over here!" he heard his father's voice say, and felt something lift off of him. Aurelius lifted his head and blinked in confusion as he witnessed the sky above him, its color strangely yellow. How could he see the sky from the basement? Disoriented, he was aware of a hand pulling back more of the debris and then saw his father kneeling there. "Hang on, Aurelius, we're getting you out of there. Can you respond? Do you know where you are?"

"Yes, I think so," Aurelius said. "Ciardoth…she…"

"It's all right, retreated for now," Severus assured him, turning to someone behind him. "Walk softly! Use the footprint spell, Jennifer, we can't afford another collapse!"

"Aurelius?" Jennifer said worriedly, appeared a moment later. Unlike his father, who seemed unusually calm and serene, her face was red and she was visibly shaken, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw him and began helping Severus lift the debris away.

"I'm all right, really!" he insisted, seeing her face. "I think I just got hit in the back of the head, and my legs are pinned. I have the Aegis on. Where's Audi and Moody?"

"Just hang on, you'll be out in a minute. Jennifer, call up a stretcher," Severus said, turning away from Aurelius. Numbly Jennifer stepped back a bit to do so.

"Where's Audi and Moody?" Aurelius demanded again.

"Aurelius, I want you to stay quiet and relax. I'm bringing you out," Severus said. Aurelius heard other voices in the background as he felt himself being lifted up and several others appeared around him as he was lowered onto the stretcher on his side. But as Severus stopped to cover him, Aurelius was able to get a good look at his face and he burst into tears. "Ginny!" he called out, and Aurelius was vaguely aware of the red haired woman coming over with her husband at her side as she knelt down to him. "Can I give him a sedative?"

"No, no, it's too dangerous right now. He's probably got a concussion. Let's get him to Mungo's," Ginny said.

"Go on, I'll take care of things here," Harry said, his own face wet as he stepped away and Ginny got out her emergency key.

"Jennifer! We're leaving!" Severus said in a strangely firm voice. Jennifer came back over from where she stood near a large group of Ministry Enforcers and Aurors, her expression haunted as she joined them and the four of them disappeared.

Reluctantly, Harry went back over to the others, many of them including Tonks and Thurspire, wearing expressions of intense grief and shock from where they stood numbly as others worked to free more debris away from the two sheet-covered bodies. No one said a word when Harry went through the rubble to gather up the pieces of two broken wands. After a quick word to Thurspire, Harry turned to Tonks, who had asked to accompany him. Nodding slowly to her, the two of them left, dreading their mission as they went to Hogwarts for Albus Dumbledore.

The death of an Auror was a terrible thing. The death of two was seen as nothing short of devastating; both by those they had personally touched over the years, and by those of the public, reeling over the ramifications. News spread quickly through not only their continent but across the sea where Audacious Belle had spent a great part of her life, and every wizard newsprint in both Britain and the States sped out extras to every witch and wizard residence regardless if they had a subscription or not.

The Heart's Ease Balm in Aurelius' room really did nothing to lighten the mood of the family standing vigil there, and none were so depressed as Aurelius himself, feeling guilty for having come away from it with a bump on his head when his mentors had died to protect him. No words of consoling seemed enough, for him or anyone else, and even Dumbledore's attempts at comfort seemed hollow compared to the unmistakable look of grief in his own eyes. In the lounge, Lunette Vallid did what she could to keep Harry calm, for he was pacing again, his anger overwhelming the despair he felt for his two friends.

"Why didn't anyone see this coming? Not even Essie Brim saw it coming," he said. "How did this happen?"

"Calm down, Harry, please, people are starting to stare. Come sit down," Lunette coaxed. "We attract enough attention just being here without causing scenes." Reluctantly, Harry sat beside her, putting his head in his hands. Lunette gently slipped a cup between his elbows, and reluctantly he took it. "Both of them asked to be cremated in their will, but I think we ought to have the ceremony where their house stood. I think you ought to stand up and say something."

"What can I say?" Harry said, shaking his head. "I mean, Moody was as much a father figure to me as Arthur and Sirius ever was. You have no idea how many close calls I had my first couple years as an Auror that he pulled me out of. Audi…well, she was more like a grandmother, really, always pushing her nasty brews on me while she prattled on about whatever case we were working on like it was common dinner conversation."

"Well, it was to her," Lunette said amusedly.

"They'd been through so much, Lunette…both of them…caught countless Death Eaters, defied Voldemort and lived to tell about it only to be snapped down by this…this creature who saw their lives as not worth anything!" Harry said. Lunette put her hand over his.

"You're right, Harry, but I think Ciardoth underestimated just how much losing them would mean. The world has just suffered a terrible loss, not just us, and no one is going to ever forget it, let alone let it go unanswered. And Harry, I think deep down you know what to say. Just tell them what you'd say to me or Albus, that's what I told the other person planning to speak as well." Lunette looked up then and nodded as Severus came over to them, sitting back. "Something to drink, Severus?"

"Thank you, no," Severus said quietly. "Aurelius is going to be sent home in the morning. He's still going to need to take it easy, but should be ready for school. However, I admit I am more than a little concerned about their safety at their grandfather's since Fleur is the only fully trained witch there…"

"Say no more, Severus, they can stay with us," Harry assured him. "I have my own to get to the train this year anyhow."

"Don't remind me," Severus said in such a dry tone that Harry couldn't help but smile slightly. "If anything happens, I trust you'll send them on to the school…"

"Nothing will happen, Severus," Harry said gently. "Have you decided what to do about the Aegis?"

"Despite the risks, Dumbledore has advised us to leave it with him," Severus admitted. "He has used it in the past to keep his siblings safe, and also just having the four of them together may be a deterrent to her since they have successfully fended her off together before."

"Their strengths and talents are well balanced for each other," Lunette agreed. "And I can assure you, Severus, after what's happened Harry's won't be the only set of eyes on those four. You have a lot of people worried about your family right now."

"Thank you, but it's hardly something we're not used to, as ridiculous as that may be," Severus said bitterly. "You may go visit now if you like, but I need to catch an hour or two of sleep. See you at the ceremony."

"Good night, Severus," Lunette said thoughtfully while Harry nodded to him, watching him walk out the door before turning his gaze back to her. She nodded at him then. "You're right, Harry. He's not the same old professor you knew in school. Not by a long shot," she said with a smile. "Come on, let's go up and talk to the six reasons why." Tossing out the tepid tea in their cups, the two of them went up to see the rest of the family.

It had been some time since such a group of Aurors, Ministry workers, Councilmen and more had assembled in one place; not since, Aurelius remembered, Witolf's funeral two years ago. There were many others that Aurelius didn't recognize; Americans that worked for the Wizard bureaus there. Even Aunt Tony was there, standing near Anna, Megan and Thurspire, not one dry eye among them as Harry stood up for Alastor with Dumbledore and Sirius by his side wearing haunted expressions. On the other side of the front row, was a group of six Aurors, and although Aurelius didn't know most of them, he recognized Tonks, whom guarded his grandfather on occasion the year before. It was hard to listen, and even harder to gaze into Harry's face; and because of it he was certain he was the first to notice the woman standing in back apart from the rest. It was Viviane, wearing an expression as empty as the foundation of the basement behind them. Aurelius tugged on his father's sleeve who glanced over and frowned. Nodding quickly he gestured Aurelius towards the front again.

"There can't be any doubt they'll be missed, especially among those of us who worked with them," Harry continued, glancing over at his friends. "But one thing we all agree on is that even though we're all grieving right now and probably will be for some time to come, there can't be any doubt that this is the death they would have wanted…protecting what they believe in and for someone they care about," he said, glancing at Aurelius, "and to go out fighting…and together. I don't think any of us are going to forget that the world was a lot safer when they were here, and they'll never be forgotten. Thanks Audi, Alastor, wherever you are," he sighed, stepping out of the way.

It was Thomas Craw who stepped up then taking one last glance at his wife before looking out on everyone else, making eye contact with his daughter a moment then everyone else.

"You know, Audi Belle was actually a very private woman, which is probably why she asked me to be the one to stand up for her in her will. She knows as well as anyone there's not a Craw in history who wasn't more than a bit self-centered, and she probably figured I didn't know enough to get too sappy on her. She wouldn't like that sort of thing and I respect that. Anyone with the nerve to name a daughter Audacious to begin with deserves what they get; of course, I also think that all of us probably didn't deserve what we got out of it. In my case, she acted as my sanity when I had none during the darkest moments of my life. A thankless job, really. I cursed her often and praised her not at all, not that she let it faze her…that's just the sort of friend she was. Oh, she could dish it out too if she needed to, and she did from time to time. I never thought I'd ever meet anyone to match her…until she introduced me to Alastor Moody. My only regret is that they didn't meet earlier in their lives so they could have unleashed their mayhem on those that deserved it sooner. They were Aurors as they should be, doing their jobs for justice's sake and not bending to the bloodthirsty bureaucrats who seem to hire Aurors only to give them someone to stop," Thomas said dryly. Several eyes darted to Draco and Thurspire, but their expressions didn't seem to change. "And one thing is certain; although I agree with Harry completely in that this is the death they would have wanted, I also believe the truest homage we could pay to our fallen comrades is to see that the entity that caused this tragedy is served with the justice they fought for."

As the most of the crowd gazed at each other unsurely, the Aurors in front all stood up and applauded him enthusiastically, Thomas nodding with a grim smile in response at their support. Most of the Enforcers, including Thurspire, were gazing at Draco, who was observing the Aurors with a thoughtful distant look, while in the back, Jennifer attempted futilely to try and catch her husband's eye to see what he was thinking.

Aurelius had been hoping to get a few minutes alone with his father when they got home, but he soon realized that wasn't going to happen. His aunt and uncle, Harry, Ginny, and even Thurspire appeared moments after they got home, and Jennifer quickly suggested that they entertain Jamie, Cedric and the twins in the backyard. By the time Andrew rushed up and brought down an assortment of games, cards and even his wireless, Joanie Weasley joined as well, a sure sign that Ron and Hermione had arrived.

"Does that hurt?" Joanie asked sympathetically, staring at Aurelius' bandaged head as she sat down beside him at the table.

"Only when nosy little girls pester me about it," Aurelius said, getting out his chessboard.

"I'm _not_ little," Joanie said indignantly. "I am starting Hogwarts this year too, you know. Of course, I seriously doubt I'd be a Slytherin like you. My parents were both in Gryffindor," she said, looking at one of the pieces.

"Good, then I won't have to worry about your house's points this year," Aurelius said, snatching the white rook out of her hand and putting it on the board across from him. "If anyone can tank them, a Weasley can. Andrew, come play."

"Hang on, I'm still trying to get this thing to work," Andrew said, fiddling with his Wizard Wireless.

"Doubt that thing will work out here, too much interference," Alex said as she came out with a tray of drinks. But Andrew kept at it, determined to get a signal no matter how bad the reception.

"I'll play with you, Rel, if you don't mind a challenge," Joanie said.

"Yes, funny. Alex, come play," Aurelius said.

"I can't Rel, Mum needs me in the kitchen. It's a madhouse in there right now. Harry and Uncle Sirius are putting Fae detectors in the house, sort of like a toned down version of what the school has," she explained, handing he and Joanie both a drink. Joanie took it and nonchalantly began setting up the rest of the white pieces.

"Why bother? We're only going to be here another week," Aurelius said.

"Well, they're discussing putting them in Harry's house as well, actually," Alex said, then gazed over at where Zack and Zoë were teaching Jamie and Cedric some basic knee kicks with her football. "Drinks over here, guys! I'll have sandwiches in a minute! Rel, why don't you play with Joanie? She looks willing," Alex said as she headed towards the kitchen again. In fact, she was sitting calmly in front of the pieces with her fingers interlaced and a pawn moved two spaces forward.

"I wouldn't play her if I were you," Jamie warned him as she went to grab a drink. "She'll knock you off your broom."

"Fine, one game," Aurelius sighed, moving his knight.

By the time Alex got back out, everyone in the backyard was huddled around Aurelius and Joanie, and quite a number of pieces were now off the board, some of them still in pieces with only the sound of low music from the wireless the only distraction. Aurelius sat staring at the board with his full concentration, his brows furrowed. Despite his softer features, Aurelius would have been surprised at how much he looked like his father in that moment. Joanie, on the other hand, sighed loudly, drumming her fingers until Aurelius stopped and glared at her.

"You really have only one good move, you know," she said.

Behind her, Zack was attempting to signal him, but only ended up earning both of their glares for the effort. He cleared his throat then, and went for one of the sandwiches. In annoyance, Aurelius attempted to tune out the outside interferences, not even noticing when Ron slipped out the door and came over to watch. Finally, he slid his bishop forward to take her knight, pleased with the fact he had the King in its sights.

"Check," Aurelius said, suddenly aware that that Ron and Zack were both shaking their heads from beside her. Joanie whipped forward the knight immediately on the call, taking the bishop.

"Checkmate, mate," she said, getting up to get a sandwich herself.

"Half a minute! That can't be checkmate!" Aurelius said, frowning at the board.

"Try again, my queen and castle have you nailed," Joanie grinned, and as Aurelius stared at it, Ron chuckled.

"Ouch, I can't believe you just got smashed by an eleven-year-old," Andrew said, Aurelius glaring at him.

"Don't feel bad, Aurelius, she even beats me half the time…and the Deputy Headmaster hasn't beat her since she was eight," Ron winked. "Come on, Joanie, I need to get you to your grandparents."

"What? I should have known," Joanie said with a frown, putting down her sandwich. "Every time something interesting happens, Mum heads to Hogwarts, you head to work, and I get stuck with Grandmama getting force-fed and listening to stories of you, Aunt Ginny and all my Uncles growing up. Can't I go to Jamie's?"

"Actually, I have a feeling those two will be joining you in a bit," he said, Jamie and Cedric looking up at him with a frown as the two of them headed in.

"I can't remember the last time I've seen this many people upset," Alex said with a sigh, nibbling on a sandwich herself and sitting down.

"I still can't believe they're gone," Andrew said quietly.

"I'm just glad you weren't badly hurt too, Rel," Alex said. Sighing, Aurelius got up.

"I think I'm going to go lay down," Aurelius decided.

"Are you feeling alright? Not dizzy or anything, are you?" Andrew frowned with concern.

"It's just been a long day," Aurelius said.

"Well, let Alicia know there's food down here. She's retreated in the attic again," Alex said with a sigh.

"For once I don't blame her," Aurelius said, stepping inside.

He hadn't been in his room very long before there was a gentle knock Aurelius didn't recognize. Curiously he looked up to see Albus Dumbledore standing there with an owl on his shoulder, smiling gently at him.

"Good afternoon, Aurelius, mind if I have a word?" he said, and immediately Aurelius got up, feeling a bit conscientious for having the Headmaster in his room and quickly offered his chair, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I have a problem I was hoping you would help me with."

"Certainly, Professor, anything," Aurelius said, suspicious and surprised at the same time.

"It's about our dear friend here," he said, carefully petting the front of the old owl. Aurelius recognized him then. It was Audacious Belle's familiar, Fluke. "I happened to have stayed over today to talk to the Minister of Magic and noticed this fellow watching from the trunk of a downed tree. Apparently, he'd been out delivering post when things went wrong and has been hovering about, not really understanding what happened. I had Alexandria speak with him briefly, but he is very distraught and terribly upset. I'm afraid with everything that's been going on, no one has had time to see to his needs."

"I know the feeling," Aurelius said dryly, petting the owl absently.

"Yes, I understand," Dumbledore said quietly. "Although I believe had they the option, your parents would be spending a great deal of time with the four of you right now. As it is, with Ciardoth's powers so resistant to so many spells, many of the Council and the Order believe that the only way to defeat her will be by using the Ancient Arts, and since much of that was lost for many years, your father's bound to attract a lot of unwanted attention by people wanting advice on how to handle her."

"But Ciardoth uses Fae magic. Wouldn't it make more sense fighting her with Wild Magic instead?" Aurelius said.

"Yes, there is a definite argument for that, quite a number of wizards and witches think so," Dumbledore nodded. "I imagine Doctor Sagittari has his share of visitors as well, although I'm sure he is a bit more proficient at turning them away. Your father, however, has felt personally responsible for Ciardoth ever since she has shown up, and that with the severity of the attack keeps him from shutting the door at the moment." Aurelius grew quiet then, his thoughts turning back to his father's last fight with her at the Riddle mansion. "But despite that, rest assured that their thoughts are on you. And mine are on this little fellow. I would have already added him to the Owlery staff, but right now Fluke needs some extra special care and a lot of understanding before he'd be ready for that. Losing a familiar is a terrible thing, but I assure you, it's no easier on him. Fluke loved them both deeply."

"I'm not sure my father would agree to having another animal in the house. The place is a zoo already," Aurelius admitted.

"I will take care of that, Aurelius, and it's only until he's ready to face the world again. It seems to be a rather scary place for all of us right now," Dumbledore said gently, putting Fluke on a wooden stand that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Thanks, Professor," Aurelius said.

"No, thank you," Dumbledore smiled, stepping out of the room while Aurelius went to the owl some food and water.


	4. Manifestations of Anxiety

Chapter Four

Manifestations of Anxiety

Very early the next morning, Aurelius felt something tickling his cheek and tried to wave it off. A moment later, it happened again.

"Achilles, stop it," Aurelius hissed grumpily, waving his snake away again and pulling the covers around his neck, the snake had to slither back a bit to keep from being flung off.

"Your father wants you to help him in the lab," Achilles hissed in his ear insistently.

"Now? But it's still dark! What time is it?" Aurelius hissed, carefully turning over.

"The rodents are still awake."

"Yes, that's extremely helpful," Aurelius sighed, grabbing his watch and staring at it. "It's five o'clock in the bloody morning! Doesn't that man ever sleep?"

"Fathers are mysteries to me," the snake said simply. "I was hatched."

Aurelius rubbed his eyes a moment then looked around, focusing in on the strange shadow in the corner of the room. Realizing it was an empty owl stand he sat up with a yawn, wondering where Fluke was.

"Is he the only one awake?" Aurelius asked, getting out of bed and throwing on his night robe.

"He was," the snake said as Aurelius picked him up. The snake immediately curled around his forearm and Aurelius pushed his feet into his slippers and shuffled down the stairs.

Already the lab in the basement was alive with bubbling cauldrons, and tables of precisely measured ingredients were grouped together between crates of immaculate potion bottles and phials waiting to be filled. His father looked as if he had slept in his robes but was otherwise wide-awake. He nodded as Aurelius came down the stairs, ignoring the grumpy look on his face. Descartes, Severus' Stymphalian, cawed out cheerfully in greeting, his cry louder than any rooster and even more annoying. Rasputin, the monitor basilisk, turned a glass eye towards Aurelius from where he lay on top of a bookshelf before going back to his nap, lazily waiting for the first rays of light to peek out of the tiny window above him.

"Good, you're here. I need another pair of able hands to help me finish restocking before we leave and it needs to be done this morning," Severus said, his eyes not leaving his work.

"Fine, but does it have to be done quite this early in the morning?" Aurelius complained, putting Achilles down to wander.

"Some of these potions have to simmer for four or five hours," Severus said evenly. "Considering you retired to your room last night before dinner, I thought perhaps you at least would be rested enough to help me. Check on the Pepper-up and Butterfly Balm, please." Resignedly Aurelius pulled up his sleeves and went to check on the two potions. "You did manage to get some rest, I hope," Severus added, sorting through a batch of pansy petals with a skeptical eye.

"Sure. Why wouldn't I?" Aurelius said irritably, stirring the balm. "Have you seen Fluke?"

"I sent him for the morning newspaper. He seemed restless and I thought it would do him some good to keep busy," Severus said. Aurelius turned and squinted at him suspiciously.

"Does this have anything to do with why I'm down here?" Aurelius asked.

"Aurelius, if that balm is done, move it out of the cauldron oven so it can cool and I can start on the next one," Severus said. Aurelius frowned and grabbed some hot pads, dutifully turning his attention to the oven. "You're down here because you're capable in the lab and my time right now is quite limited…especially time I can count on being uninterrupted," he said, glancing at his watch. "So if you have anything in particular on your mind, now's the time. Here, set these on the drying trays for me," he added, handing him the bowl of petals the moment Aurelius' hands were free. "I have a feeling we're going to be needing more Heart's Ease Balm before the end of the year."

"There is one thing I wanted to ask," Aurelius admitted after he had begun to lay the petals out on the screens. "I was wondering if we could come to school early instead of going to Harry's."

"No, I don't think so. I'd much prefer it if you went to the Potter's," Severus said.

"But isn't Hogwarts safer?" Aurelius asked.

"Aurelius, those two weeks before school are the two of the most hectic weeks of teaching and neither myself or your mother will have much time to look after you."

"We hardly need looking after," Aurelius said. "Especially Alex and myself…she's nearly out of school and my marks in Defense…"

"Nearly out isn't out yet," Severus cut him off firmly. "And until then, you'll do what I think is best."

"Without question?" Aurelius challenged him.

"Of course without question," Severus said.

"Sorry, can't do it," Aurelius said, Severus' eyes flicking up from his work. "You've got only yourselves to blame for encouraging us to be independent. I don't want to go to Harry's."

"Very well. Would you mind telling me why?" Severus said, watching as Aurelius slid the last of the trays on top of the oven.

"Well, maybe it's because I'd like to know that Jamie and Cedric have a chance to make it to Hogwarts too," Aurelius snapped, and then immediately regretted it. Severus didn't react at first, finishing his measurements and taking the temperature of one of the beakers he had under a burner before adding it.

"Have a seat, Mr. Snape," he sat at last, nodding to a stool nearby. "Class is in session." Aurelius sighed and sat down, watching as Severus gently stirred the solution to the concentration he wanted and put down the glass mixer in his hand. "Aurelius, despite the gross rumors in the papers about me coaching you in O.W.L.S., you and I know at least from an academic perspective that you are brilliant for your age. I would even go so far to say your knowledge in Defense is well beyond N.E.W.T. level. Do not take my caution to mean I doubt that you can handle yourself. This is more about making certain that if there is another confrontation, we will not be caught at a disadvantage or unaware again. Now, what is the definition of fear I taught you?"

"'A manifestation of anxiety caused by a perceived or actual loss of control over any given situation,'" Aurelius quoted without enthusiasm.

"And the best defense against it?"

"Knowledge and preparation," Aurelius said boredly.

"Yes, well, there is a reason that I drill that into every student from first year on, you know," Severus said.

"You've been drilling it into us since we were five," Aurelius glowered.

"Then perhaps it's time we applied it to this particular situation," Severus said, sitting down and watching his mixture bubble. "Aurelius, we would have to be blind not to see that this affected you more than that bump on your head. I know you're reeling. We all are. There's nothing you could have done to have saved them," he said quietly. "Had you not done what they had asked and kept your head you would have died as well, despite their best efforts to save you. Your survival is proof that they didn't die in vain."

"Then how come I feel like a coward?" Aurelius murmured.

"This is beginning to sound like another conversation I had once," Severus sighed, getting up again. "Aurelius, why do you want to be an Auror?"

"Well, to try to prevent other kids from having to go through all the craziness we went through growing up for starters," Aurelius said.

"In that case you'd be a teacher. And good luck," Severus said dryly.

"I meant more like against people like Lucius…hanging over us all those years acting against us and us not being able to do anything about it," Aurelius said quietly. "And Longbottom…the fact that he's out time-served after what he did makes me sick to my stomach."

"You're hardly the only one, I assure you," Severus admitted, turning the burner off.

"I've always been good at putting things together. I've always been good at Defense. What better way for me to make a difference than to stop bastards like that before they tear someone else's life apart?" Aurelius said, Severus nodding as he bottled the mixture.

"So what happened to you the other day hasn't changed your resolve?" he asked. Aurelius slowly shook his head.

"If anything, I feel stronger about it. Although…"

"Yes?"

"Well, it's not like any of us could really do anything to Ciardoth," Aurelius said in a low voice. "She's too powerful."

"If that is true, how come she keeps running?" Severus pointed out. "How come she is gone for such long periods of time in between attacks?"

"Well, usually she doesn't run until you show up," Aurelius said, and then grew even more somber. "Father, there's something I have to tell you. Actually, it's been bothering me for a while now but I didn't want to bring it up while Mum was around," he said. Severus gazed at him curiously. "That night at the Riddle House when you called Ciardoth out…when she said she saw you die and you said that she'd die as well and that's why she was doing all this. Something in her face…I can't exactly read her, and yet somehow I knew it was close to right. I think she sees you die, but she doesn't remember anything happening after your death. So even though she doesn't see it, she knows somehow you cause it…and I…don't really know how to deal with knowing that."

Severus let out a loud sigh, checking his watch and glancing at the door before sitting beside him.

"Yes, I knew I was correct about that, Aurelius. There has been some sort of connection between Ciardoth and myself from the beginning. I've always known it was mine and mine alone to deal with, although I have no more idea on how to go about it at this point than anyone else does," he admitted.

"But I've heard Professor Ravenclaw say more than once that memories were different than visions and that they can't change. What if he's right? What if the only way to get rid of her…" Aurelius immediately stopped when Descartes began to caw out happily, and a moment later the two of them saw Jennifer on the stairs, leaning over to peer down at them.

"You two are up early. Trying to get it done before we get invaded again?"

"As a matter of fact," Severus agreed with her as he got back to work and Aurelius went to check on the cauldrons again.

"Need another pair of hands?"

"Well, I for one could use some of your expertise in coffee making," Severus said.

"Oh, I see how it is," Jennifer chuckled, heading back up the stairs. "Very well, although I highly suspect you're merely attempting to get me out of your lab." Severus grimaced when she closed the door, all too conscious about how close to the truth that was. His eyes shifted to Aurelius then, who was looking at him carefully.

"Aurelius, I would appreciate it if…"

"I Pacted it a long time ago, Father," he said, and Severus hesitated, nodding.

"Thank you. I would prefer to tell your mother about this in my own way rather than her blundering into it at an inappropriate moment. In any case, I wouldn't worry about that particular memory of Ciardoth's yet. It may be that what she perceived was something different than what she thought," Severus said, but Aurelius looked at him dubiously. "And I for one would like to think that I have some control over my destiny. We have choices, Aurelius, our own choices, just as you have chosen to be an Auror…something that no coward would choose to do, might I add. And we have a choice on whether to let Ciardoth's actions intimidate us or not. Before the four of you leave, we are all going to sit down and make some extra contingent plans so that we are not taken by surprise by her again, nor will anyone who we are with, for that matter." Aurelius sighed silently and nodded in acceptance, but still couldn't help but dread the two weeks ahead.

Of course, he was hardly the only one.

Jennifer got up that morning reluctant to get dressed, taking such an unusually long time that Severus came in to find her standing at the mirror while attempting to work the latch on her charm bracelet. Five circular charms containing a ruby, emerald, two moonstones of differing sizes, and a diamond were set in gold, dangling from a golden bracelet.

"You haven't worn that in a while," Severus commented thoughtfully. He had given it to her after Alex was born; the others were added later on, each one charmed to flash if any of them were in danger.

"I didn't dare to after you had been inflicted with the Gringotts' Curse," Jennifer reminded him, allowing him to help her with the clasp. "Besides, it's easier than looking at my watch all the time, as I'm sure I'll be tempted to do if I don't wear it."

"I have gone over a dozen different escape routes with them, Jennifer. Even so, you know as well as I do that Ciardoth seldom uses the same method twice," Severus said, handing her tie to her.

"Just like lightning. How appropriate," Jennifer said distractedly, putting it on.

"Actually, I believe it's to keep events straight in her own mind. Since Ciardoth sees in all times at once, similar events in different times would be dangerous for her because she may mistake the wrong one," he explained. Jennifer nodded thoughtfully.

"Do you suppose she'll try to get the Aegis from Aurelius again?" Jennifer said.

"That depends on whether she remembers acquiring it or not," Severus said, Jennifer frowning at him. "Come on. Alex made you breakfast this year, and it's sure to be getting cold. By the way, how would you like to stop by Tassels and Panning on the way to the school and have your ears pierced for your birthday?"

"Severus Snape, if I wanted my ears pierced, I would have done it long ago!" Jennifer said with exasperation as she opened the door. "What's the matter, tired of necklaces, rings and bracelets?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, and there isn't much selection in those silly clamp ones…"

"I'll tell you what's silly, Severus, you are," Jennifer chuckled. "Can't you come up with something more meaningful as a present?"

"Didn't I buy you a camera one year?" Severus said, the four at the table grinning privately at each other when the two of them came in. They'd all heard this argument before.

"Yes, and every time I pick it up you suddenly disappear," Jennifer frowned at him.

"I bought it so you could take photos of them, not me," Severus reminded her. "And you're changing the subject. Would you like to head to Minerva's for a new gown?"

"What I really want is for you to stop fussing and come have breakfast," Jennifer said grumpily. "Severus, how about letting me take one photo of you in the lab and we'll call it even?"

"No," Severus said. "Nice scones, Alex. Not burnt this time."

"A little doughy in the middle," Aurelius said, inspecting his.

"Next time you can cook then," Alex glowered at him.

"What's one photo going to hurt?" Jennifer said.

"You already have two frog cards of me and that old sketch of Pyther's. I dare think that's enough," Severus said.

"I can do one of him for you, Mum," Alicia volunteered.

"I'm not sitting for a painting either," Severus glowered.

"You know, Mum, I was thinking about getting my ears pierced too. We could go together," Alex volunteered.

"Can I go too?" Alicia asked.

"No," Severus and Jennifer frowned at Alicia.

"Well, how about a belly button ring?" Alicia compromised.

"See what you've started?" Jennifer said accusingly to her husband. Andrew began to chuckle and everyone stopped arguing and looked at him. "And just what is so funny?"

"Nothing," Andrew said, nibbling on his scone. "It's just nice seeing everyone acting normal again."

"Acting maybe," Aurelius said, putting down his scone. "Nothing's really going to be the same again."

"I'm sure it feels that way," Jennifer said with a sigh, "and in some ways you're right, Aurelius, but so is Andrew. Life does go on, and we still have each other to argue with and fight over spare rooms about, and criticize everything from cooking to teaching," she joked, earning a dirty look from Severus. "As long as we have each other for support we can get through anything…although I must admit I'm looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, because oddly enough in some ways I feel closer to the four of you there sometimes than I do when we're here. And I'm sure all of you are anxious to see your friends again, but please be careful the next couple of weeks and mind Harry and Ginny."

"Don't forget everything I've gone over with you," Severus added with a nod. "Have your cloaks within arms reach at all times, and rings on at all times as well, even when you're sleeping." The four of them nodded solemnly, twisting their rings conscientiously, but none of them complained about wearing them anymore.


	5. Worthy of a Thousand Words

_A/N Hiya all, have another chapter, and don't forget to check out the teaser for Goblets on the Harry Potter website if you haven't already. Anyhow, a word on the speed on this book; don't expect fast updates anytime soon. You see, I'm only on chapter nine and the reason is simple; content content content. Anytime, for example, I write the main climax chapter of one of my books, I find myself writing a line then having to take a fifteen minute break to figure out the next line, and so on. Setting up this particular book is like writing one of those chapters; but it's probably going to last the first half of the book as I try to push this giant snowball up the hill. I ask because of that you try to be patient with me...I have a lot of different things going on in the book at once and I need to check, recheck, and rerecheck that everything that needs addressed is getting addressed at the appropriate time. Good training for moving on to my own stuff afterwards, I suppose...but don't worry...once all the foundations I need to lay have set up solid and placed, the speed on the chapters will pick up...but not until then. Thanks for your patience and enjoy this latest addition. JCWriter_

Chapter Five

Worthy of a Thousand Words

Albus Dumbledore was gazing thoughtfully at the walls of his study when he heard a knock on the door and waved them open. Shaking off his mood he turned to greet Jennifer and Severus with a warm smile.

"Please, come in! Welcome home," he added, knowing the two of them had grown to think of Hogwarts in that way as he had done.

"It's good to be back, Albus, despite everything," Jennifer agreed with a smile as he gestured her to her favorite chair.

"Now I don't want either of you to spend your entire time the next two weeks worrying," Dumbledore said. "Between Harry, myself, and half the wizards in the country keeping an eye on things at his house, I'm sure those four are perfectly safe."

"All the same, I for one will be glad when school starts," Jennifer admitted.

"As will we all, I think. But considering how much there is to do to prepare for this year, I believe it will pass in no time," Dumbledore assured her with a smile and then turned to Severus. "In fact, don't be surprised if a lot of academic projects come up. You're going to find, I'm afraid, that a lot of eyes will be on the school. One reason for it, unfortunately, has to do with that bothersome matter of Aurelius being much too clever for his own good," he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Professor, let me assure you that neither I or Jennifer 'coached' Aurelius on that test in any way," Severus said firmly.

"Oh, I have no doubt of that, Severus. If anything, I know for a fact that if the two of you had any faults, it's that you have always pressed the four of them harder than the other students in your classes instead of make things easier," he said, smiling when the two of them grimaced at each other. "However, I'm sure you can see how the board might be a bit concerned about the matter, especially considering that you organized the revisions in the first place. I have already given my statement on the matter to them, but I expect there will be an inquiry of some kind. Still, I'm sure whatever comes of it you can take care of it. In fact, here's a list of meeting dates in case you want to attend them," he added, handing a sheet over to Severus who stared at it and the Headmaster in surprise.

"You want me to deal with the board, Sir?"

"Well, Severus, I really had little to do with this whole OWLS revision business to begin with except for giving you and Hermione permission to organize it, and the board knows it. I hardly have the right to speak for you on the issue. However, might I suggest that now might be a good time to finish that follow-up on your Flux Effect research. It never hurts to have a little good publicity to counteract the bad at times like this," he suggested. "Besides, I am going to be too busy this year to bother with their petty arguments. Hermione Weasley and I are going to be busy reorganizing some of the administration structure to make it more efficient, and I dare think it's going to take all year to do so. Jennifer, I know how the two of you like to get involved in events outside the school, but before you get too wrapped up in that this year, I want you to help Severus double-check all the securities in the school and if either of you discovers anything we can be doing better without hampering the daily activities of staff and students go ahead and see to it. Feel free to consult Sirius, of course. Our new Transfiguration teacher may be able to assist you with that as well," he added, the two of them looking at him with interest. "I decided with everything going on and tension being so high among the wizard parents to hire an Auror to fill in this year. It may ease some of the worry having one on the premises. Also, we have a new Muggle Studies instructor now that Madame Gillet…"

"I'm sorry, who did you say the Auror was?" Severus frowned.

"Well, I thought you'd be more interested to know who the Muggle Studies instructor was, Severus," Dumbledore smiled. "Since it's a returning instructor. Anna Hughes Black has decided to come back now that she's living in Britain full time."

"Great!" Jennifer said enthusiastically. "I bet Alexandria is going to love that!"

"Yes, actually, I suspected my sister was up to something like that. However, I am still curious to know who the new Transfiguration professor is…"

"Oh, don't worry, Severus, it's someone with a particular knack for that sort of thing, or I wouldn't have asked her…and actually, I do believe she's on her way up right now."

Severus and Jennifer turned curiously towards the door hearing the voices of two women laughing. Hermione appeared first, smiling warmly and waving at them as she stepped in. But the woman behind her was so busy still chuckling at something Hermione said that she tripped over the threshold. As Hermione attempted to steady the woman the two of them tumbled, crashing into a small table filled with artifacts that went flying. Fortunately, Dumbledore had been expecting something like this, and the items were suspended in air above them as they scrambled to their feet.

"I'm so sorry! Here, let me put them back!" said the pink-haired woman, apologetically dusting the table off before doing so.

"You hired Nymphadora Tonks to be the new Transfiguration teacher?" Severus said, turning a skeptical eye towards Dumbledore. Tonks stopped short, squinting at him.

"Severus, we may be coworkers now, but if I catch you repeating my first name again you'll wake up with wings, a tail, and the nose of an elephant. Not that anyone would notice," she said indignantly.

"Now, now, Tonks, I'm quite sure he meant no offense by it," Dumbledore said good-humouredly. "Welcome to the staff."

"Welcome, Tonks," Jennifer told her with a warm smile.

"Jennifer, remind me later that the first security procedure should involve making sure everything's nailed down," Severus said. Hermione looked between them, not so certain she liked the syrupy sweet smile Tonks gave him in response before glancing at Dumbledore, who didn't seem bothered by it at all. Still, it seemed to be a sign to her that it was going to be another long year.

"I wonder what sort of reorganization Albus is doing," Jennifer said when they left so that Dumbledore could have some words with Tonks about her new position.

"I don't know but I can tell you it's well overdue," Severus said, leading them down the back stairs. "Those ten months I had to help Minerva when he was gone were some of the longest of my life. Of course, some of that was because of you being gone."

"Funny, that seems like forever ago now," Jennifer murmured, taking his arm at the thought of it. "So much has happened since then. I wonder how Mark's doing? I haven't heard from him since I sent that letter to him about Baylor's death."

"Due to be out soon, isn't he?" Severus said unconcernedly.

"Not sure. Perhaps I should write him again. Severus, weren't we going to stop by our room first?" Jennifer said curiously as he missed the fifth landing and kept going down.

"No, actually, there's something in your office I want to show you first," Severus said enigmatically, turning her head with one hand when she tried to look at him. "No peeking."

"Don't tell me you ended up getting me a birthday present after all?" Jennifer sighed with exasperation.

"A joint present, actually. Dumbledore had a lot to do with it," Severus admitted as they went down into the dungeon, "and I did have to make a promise that if anything happened to us we'd donate it to the school."

"Now you have me worried, Severus," Jennifer admitted as they stopped at the office door.

"Beware the Daughters of Leo," Severus said, earning a dirty look from Jennifer when the door opened. But Severus strode in not looking at her, pausing in front of the cache where the Cauldron normally sat.

"Well?" Jennifer said impatiently. Gently Severus turned her around then to face the fireplace, and immediately Jennifer began to stare with a dropped jaw at the painting hanging above it. For it was a portrait of Severus himself in his favorite corner of his sitting room upstairs, standing or sometimes resting upon a tall stool where he sat to play his violin.

"Oh, Severus," Jennifer murmured, too astounded to say anything else as the painting gazed back at her intently before a wicked smile crept across his face.

"Terrible, I know. I probably should never have let Dumbledore talk me into it," Severus mused.

"Oh, Severus!" Jennifer said with exasperation, turning to kiss him lovingly. "I don't believe you actually did this! And however did you manage to find the time? Half a moment, I thought you said this morning you weren't going to get your painting done!" She said, poking at him.

"Yes, this morning. I had this done weeks ago," Severus said evenly and she rolled her eyes at him. "Dumbledore thought it would cheer Pyther up after losing his studio," Severus said tersely. "Dumbledore has been after me to have it done for ages now, as have you, so I finally gave in."

"I think it's absolutely marvelous, Severus! It's one of the best gifts you've ever given me," Jennifer said, kissing him passionately. When it finally ended, Severus glanced up and back at her again.

"Look, Jennifer, it seems he has a visitor," Severus said in a low voice. Jennifer turned to see the portrait of herself had wandered in from Severus' own office, and they watched as the painting drew her in his arms.

"Finally, she's not alone anymore," Jennifer said happily, leaning into him. "I take it he's made with the Mute Oil as well?"

"Yes, they'll be silent until we have passed on," Severus nodded, gazing at his wife. "Safer that way, really. I don't want you turning to a painting when you should be turning to me. Or a mirror for that matter."

"Don't worry about that, Severus. After last year, I've more than learned my lesson. I'm not going to keep anything from you again no matter how terrible I think it is. I don't want anything to come between us again like that," Jennifer said, leaning into him again. But as she tried to get close, she felt him suddenly stiffen and lifted her head to gaze at his strangely blank face still looking at the happy couple above them. "What is it?" Jennifer asked softly.

"Jennifer, Ciardoth is after our family because she is convinced that I am the one who is ultimately going to stop her attempt to destroy this universe. She wants me to suffer as much as possible until my death, which she remembers occurs just before her own demise." Severus said, meeting her gaze so she could read him.

"Well, maybe she only thinks you die... from her perspective, you know…perhaps it's Cosmic Sleep or something…" Jennifer said.

"Perhaps," Severus said softly.

"But you don't think so, do you?" Jennifer murmured. Severus sighed.

"I don't know. I don't know what she saw. But I certainly don't intend to work my life around a portent of the future, even if it is one of these supposedly 'unchangeable' ones. I still believe we are ultimately in charge of our own destinies regardless of what she or Icarus or Essie or what anyone else sees, and I don't want you to be troubled about it either," he said firmly, frowning at her worried face. "I only told you because it's probably something you should be aware of. Perhaps there is something to fate, but we still make our own choices, Jennifer, and it is those choices that ultimately determine who we are and therefore can change what fate plans for us."

"Icarus couldn't," Jennifer murmured.

"And yet I would argue that Icarus' choices helped to cause his predicament rather than prevent it," Severus said softly. "You and I both would be willing to sacrifice our lives if it meant the survival of our children or even the safety of this school, but if it ever comes to that, it should be on our terms, not hers. Personally, I myself would prefer living to a ripe old age. Maybe I'll even break a record on how many generations of students can hate the same teacher or something…"

"Oh, Severus, really! Your students don't hate you," Jennifer chuckled. "Okay, maybe some of them do, but some of them haven't been too fond of me either."

"Oh, nonsense," Severus protested.

"Nonsense is right," Jennifer chuckled softly then shook her head with a smile. "And you were right to promise Albus to leave the portraits with the school. I've always wanted to think our work all these years have left something of us in Hogwarts, but the idea that something of who we are now is here to show them means a lot to me. Thank you. I know how you hate such things."

"Perhaps I was wrong in being quite so critical," Severus mused. "I admit watching them together I should have at least done it for your portrait's sake," he said, gazing at them thoughtfully as his portrait kissed hers. He frowned then. "I hope they don't carry on like that in front of the students, though."

"Oh no, scandal at Hogwarts! Paintings of a married couple take to each other," Jennifer teased.

"I'm serious, Jennifer. What if they get out of hand?" Severus said.

"Afraid it'll ruin your image?" Jennifer said mischievously.

"You know, that pun is beneath even you," he scolded her. "We'll just have to keep an eye on them I suppose." Jennifer didn't mind that idea in the slightest.

It felt strange to be working in Hogwarts again after all those years. Anna Hughes Black stepped in the office she had worked in fifteen years ago, and it struck her how little it had changed. Of course that was Hogwarts; with its relics, décor and even furniture to some extent hundreds of years old…perhaps it was just as well that stayed the same since the dynamics inside the castle itself seemed to be endlessly changing.

Her life had also taken quite a number of dramatic changes since she had first been brought there after a series of strange events alerted Albus Dumbledore to the fact that Snape's half-sister was far from the squib that everyone had been led to believe. Instead, she had found out she was something called an Aethermage; someone who was actually a part of magic instead of just using it…like a Fae or a House Elf, or even some of the magical beasts like Unicorns and Centaurs that made their home in the Forest nearby. It was an ability she didn't want, and a fate she didn't want; spending years of her life going between her magic and non-magical lives until finally it began to take a toll on her marriage and family. After a couple of bad turns with her children finally made her and her husband Sirius to go to Severus for help, Anna knew her life between worlds would have to end. Not without reluctance, but with the determination to stick with the decision, Anna finally chose to move to Britain and use her experience in criminology to help the Ministry.

And then, Audacious died. Audi had been a close friend to her for many years, and someone who had looked after her long before Anna had known any details about her true family. But Albus Dumbledore had seen how badly she was taking it…had known she had been considering going after Ciardoth herself…and had walked over to her after the funeral and whispered in her ear that there had been enough deaths that week. How exactly that conversation went from her frustration to the school needing a new instructor, Anna still didn't know. But somehow or another it had and she found herself immediately accepting, despite the fact that she suspected that Dumbledore was just attempting to keep her close in hand again for her own safety. No, that wasn't fair, she thought, shaking her head. She was far from the disoriented young woman she had been all those years ago.

Perhaps she never truly had explored her talents fully as Dumbledore had wanted, but she had learned to control them and even use them when she had to. It was pretty rare that she wanted to use it short of getting from here to there; her two boisterous children and her husband did more than enough magic for all of them. She had always been much more comfortable with her Muggle side, so instructing it was ideal; and she had enough Muggle knowledge in two continents to keep even Alexandria busy. But as she flipped through the current books, she frowned at them, then grimaced. After trying to take a pen over some of the questionable items pushed it aside, glaring at it. She knew she should have taken a closer look at them before she got there, not that she had really had much time to prepare. How could she possibly teach that, she wondered with a frown. She pulled out some of the filing cabinets in the room to search through the old tests on file there.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" said a cheerful voice. Anna looked up in surprise to see the painting of Caprica Dusthorn appear within the painting of a tractor in a field of hay. "Welcome back to Hogwarts!"

"Thanks, Caprica. Awake again? I thought you were supposed to be asleep," Anna said, pulling out a handful of tests and sitting back at her desk.

"No, no, actually I'm supposed to be awake," she said amusedly. "I must admit I'm anxious for the students to get here, although I will miss the parties with the paintings and ghosts in the Great Hall," she laughed.

"You just want the students here so you can have someone to do your mischief for you," Anna said knowingly.

"True, true," Caprica smiled. "I can't help it, you know, it's the Pooka in me…and besides, this is a very special year."

"Is it?" Anna said distractedly, thumbing through the tests and looking over the requirements with a frown.

"Oh, most definitely," Caprica said with an enigmatic smile. "And I am very glad Dumbledore took my advice and asked you back." Anna's eyes flicked up then to the painting, but Caprica had already left it. She stared at the tests for a while but had trouble concentrating, as her mind kept mulling over whether Caprica had been serious or not.


	6. Trial and Error

Chapter Six

Trial and Error

"Lindsay!" Megan sighed with exasperation, stepping out the kitchen door. "Come on down, you know you're not supposed to be up there! You'd better not be picking at the shingles again!"

"But I'm not doing anything!" the five-year old protested from where she sat on the roof. "I'm just sitting!"

"Well, come sit in the kitchen then. It's time for dinner," Megan said. Lindsay pursed her lips, not moving at first. "Now, or I'm telling your father you were up there again."

Sighing, Lindsay got on the old broom beside her and hovered down, dragging it in behind her.

"Is Daddy coming home for dinner?" Lindsay asked, frowning suspiciously at the vegetables on her plate.

"Well, he hasn't called yet," Megan sighed, although she had been expecting him to. There hadn't been a night since the deaths of Auror Belle and Auror Moody that her husband hadn't worked late…in fact, it had been nearly a week since Lindsay had even seen him for even a brief moment as he often got home long after her bedtime and left before she got up in the morning. "Eat your mashed pumpkin, Lindsay."

"I don't like pumpkin," Lindsay complained. "I want chips and catsup."

"Didn't you have fries for lunch?" Megan said.

"No, they're _chips_, Mum!" Lindsay said with a frown.

"Fine, you had chips for lunch, right?"

Lindsay thought about it and then nodded.

"And you had them for dinner yesterday, right?"

Lindsay nodded again.

"Don't you think it's time you tried something healthier for a change?"

"No," Lindsay said, poking at her chicken unhappily.

"Well, you're not getting up until you've had a least a bite of everything," Megan said, and knowing her daughter well, settled in for a long night at the table.

Lindsay was still poking at everything when the handle to the front door handle rattled, and she jumped up, ignoring her mother's warning as she ran into the door as Ederick Thurspire came in, immediately getting tackled by his daughter.

"Hullo! Hullo!" he chuckled, hugging her. "Have you eaten?"

"No," Lindsay said.

"Good, because I brought something," Ederick said cheerfully, handing her a bag with an "M" on it.

"Chips!" Lindsay said gleefully. Somehow Ederick was able to keenly hear the sigh of his exasperated wife over Lindsay's squeals…a defense mechanism he had learned early in on in his marriage.

"Evening, Meg, something wrong?" Ederick asked.

"You could have called," Megan said.

"Why, I'm not all that late, am I?"

"No, but I cooked…"

"Wonderful! I'm starved! You want this?" Ederick said, immediately handing Megan the other bag in favor of the breaded chicken which he loaded up the mashed pumpkin on top of it. Sighing again, Megan resignedly took out the Big Mac.

"Lindsay, at least come sit and the table. And I still want you to take a bite out of all of that," Megan said firmly.

Gazing at her mother defiantly, Lindsay stomped back over to the table and sat down, pushing her plate inside in favor of the bag in front of her.

"Better go on and get it over with, Lindsay, I'd rather you not get stuck at the table all night," Ederick advised her. "God knows when I'll be able to have another one off."

"Did you have a bad day?" Lindsay asked thoughtfully, and he pointed her to her plate again. Reluctantly she nibbled at the chicken before turning back to the bag again.

"No, I had a good day because it allowed me to come home to see you," Ederick told her, scooping up some of the mashed pumpkin into a spoon and holding it out to her. "Now how about you appease your mother so we can play a game or something before bedtime?" Lindsay sighed and took the spoon glumly, missing the private smile between her parents before she finally ate it, looking a bit green afterwards. But her parents ignored her reaction, Ederick turning more enthusiastically to his own dinner. "I do have to admit, though, that there are some days when I envy Aurors…allowed to go about their jobs without crushing piles of paperwork and everything tainted with politics…it's good to be home, though! Lindsay, how about you go pick out a game if you're done?" The girl looked suspiciously at her father a moment before heading to the living room.

"That bad, eh?" Megan said the moment she was out of earshot.

"I should be out there," Ederick murmured with a sigh. "Out there helping them try to find some way to get that thing, not stuck in an office filing petty offenses and magic negligence cases. Every time a report crosses my desk, I see their corpses again…rewitness the shock from every wizard even casually known for any prophetic ability because they hadn't seen it coming…and watch as my agents and Aurors alike flounder about with no true direction except waiting for the next attack. There's something about this whole thing that keeps nagging me…and I do mean the whole thing…all hundred and some odd files on this creature. Yet all I can do is wait for everyone else to try and dig something up…have I said recently how much I hate this job?"

"Nearly every day since you were promoted," Megan admitted with a nod, watching as he turned his attention to his plate again. "Ederick, why don't you just tell Draco the truth? We both know you'd be happier back in Investigations. Let someone else take the heat."

"That's just the trouble. There is no one else," Ederick said, looking up at her. "None that Draco would approve of, at any rate, you know how he can get. In the meantime, my men despise me. The Aurors hate me…"

"Oh, nonsense, not all of them do," Megan protested.

"All right, so Harry's had a good word now and then about my observation skills. But he's also quick to condemn me if I happen to even generally theorize that someone he knows might have been involved in something…no matter how true it is," Ederick said.

"Well, I think it's less about the conjecture and more about…well, how you put things," Megan said, earning a baleful look from her husband. "You do sometimes come off as harsh."

"I have to do whatever it takes to get at the truth and you know it. And many times that is easier when people are on edge rather than when we're tip-toeing around questions in case it offends someone," Thurspire said firmly. "So what if it does rile people up and some of the best and most honorable wizards in the country hate me. So what if the press takes every advantage of smacking me every time I make a mistake. A lot of trial and error goes into any investigation…it's a part of the job, and I don't care what the devil anyone else thinks about me for doing whatever I can to get it solved, no matter who I offend. I'd just rather not be doing it from a chair."

As he got up to help his daughter set up her Candy Cauldron game, Megan straightened up the kitchen, lost in her own thoughts for a moment. Her daughter's impatient protests drew her out of it, and she dried off her hands and went to join them.

Heavy rain pelted down upon the roof of the Potter residence. Aurelius lay wide awake in the dark, listening to it intently, but besides the tap-tap-tapping he only heard the sound of Alicia snoring and the occasional murmur from Alex where they slept on the other side of the petitioned room.

There had been a time in his younger life when he truly enjoyed the sound of rain at night; easily lulled asleep by the peaceful sounds, nestled cozily in a warm room kissed by an occasional breeze drifting in from a cracked window. Now that he thought back, Aurelius realized just how much he missed that feeling of security. But the walls around him no longer seemed to give them any protection, and the rain outside seemed threatening instead of tranquil. He expected at any instant that he would see a flash of light or hear a rumble…knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep himself from getting up to investigate in case it wasn't the storm…in case it was her.

He felt the bracelet that his father had given him before they had left; a silver bracelet charmed to detect unusual amounts of wild magic. It had been originally made, Aurelius knew, to detect the comings and goings of his cousins Zoë and Zack, but after making a few tweaks his father had hoped that it would give him some peace of mind considering what had happened. It had yet to go off, and Aurelius wasn't quite sure that they had gotten it right. Sighing with frustration, Aurelius closed his eyes even though his ears still strained to hear any foreign sound. In what seemed to be an eternity, he finally fell into a dreamless sleep.

It wasn't long after that that the bracelet started glowing bright and steady, but he didn't wake, and it had faded long before he woke for breakfast the next morning.

Despite the fact that Alexandria spent quite a bit of the two weeks in the Potter's downstairs closet with a Muggle telephone receiver attached to her ear, she still came out long enough for meals and to spend a few hours doing their reading assignments with her other siblings. At first Jamie seemed intrigued by the whole idea of daily study during the summer and decided to join them, but she soon got bored and spent the time practicing flying or help her brother gather rocks for his fossil collection. Andrew, who was a fast reader, received the unspoken duty of combing through the papers in case something was in them of general interest to them. But so little was still known about Ciardoth that there was often little if nothing at all to report except for the current Quidditch team standings and to see how badly the weather prediction was compared to the actual weather. Essie Brim, who had been long known for her accuracy, had been off the mark so many times over the summer that often she would just predict 'fog in the morning' and leave it at that. Somehow, _the Oracle's_ predictions had stayed fairly accurate, giving them ample reason to jeer at _the Daily Prophet's_ prophet problem.

A couple of days before school began, Andrew scanned _the Prophet_, once again looking for something interesting and found it near the back page.

"Ah, here's a note on the test inquiry…you know, the committee the governor's board put together on OWLS and NEWTS," Andrew explained.

"Right, go on," Alex nodded.

"It says here that after thoroughly going over the different aspects of the tests, they found them to be 'more than adequate' for judging the aptitude of magic students compared to similar tests around the world," Andrew said.

"I could have told them that," Aurelius said dryly.

"Good, I'm glad that's over with. Rather silly if you ask me. I thought it was rather difficult myself," Alex said.

"Yes, that's a good judge of a test," Aurelius said, earning a dirty look from his sister.

"Personally I'm a bit relieved, being that I have to take OWLS this year," Andrew said. "I admit I was a little afraid they were going to want to redo them all."

"Or worse, go back to the way they were before," Alex said. "Rose said they were absolute nightmares."

"Something wrong, Andrew?" Alicia asked. Andrew had put down _the Daily Prophet_ and had picked up _the Oracle_ and was staring fixedly at it.

"No, no, nothing, just the usual. Kindling starter, you know…" Andrew said quickly, folding it up. Alex and Aurelius gave each other knowing looks before turning to him again, Aurelius frowning at him.

"All right, let's hear it," Aurelius said.

"Really, it's nothing but the normal _Oracle_ trash, hardly anything to worry about," Andrew said fervently. "You know how they'd say anything for a rise."

"Yes we do, which is why we're so worried about the way you're acting about it," Alex said, holding her hand out. "We're going to find out sooner or later anyhow, so you might as well hand it over."

As Andrew hesitated gazing at it unsurely. Aurelius glanced at Alicia and they pounced, books flying as they tackled them. Alicia broke into a tickling spree as Aurelius tried to wrestle his hands back, giving Alex the opportunity to tweak the newspapers out of his hand. She stared at the headline, her jaw dropping.

"Why, this is absolutely outrageous!" Alex declared, the other two letting Andrew go and sitting up curiously while Andrew was still trying to recover from the attack. "The nerve of them to even imply it!"

"Stop being outraged and tell us what's going on," Aurelius snapped irritably. Alex gazed at him, then grimaced.

"All right, but try not to be upset, Aurelius, because we all know it isn't true," Alex said.

"It has to do with me?" Aurelius squinted, trying to read his sister. She sighed set it on the table so they could read the headline; _Famous Hogwarts Professor Under Suspicion of Misconduct…Again._

"'Professor Severus Snape, a member of Hogwarts senior staff, has once again been put under the magnifying glass for his actions. This time it is for allegations made by several students and parents accusing him of coaching his son, Aurelius Snape, with particulars of the fifth-year OWLS aptitude test. The tests, recently found through a board committee to be sound, were known to have been revised by a team led by Professor Snape, who had access to all written materials in all subjects the students are tested under. Although the board would not comment on the specific investigation, the current Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, sent out a statement saying that the student in question is an honor student who has excelled in all subjects and the accusation is "preposterous." Also of note, the board of governors at Hogwarts has also informed the Oracle that their meetings will be closed to the public during the course of the next school year due to the need to "sort out certain issues." However, they encourage parents of students to contact them with any complains or suggestions.'"

"What rubbish!" Aurelius scowled. "They have to be blowing this out of proportion!"

"Of course they are, Rel, we all know you got that perfect score on your own merits. I'm sure nothing will come of it," Andrew said.

"What sort of trouble would Father be in if they thought it was true?" Alicia asked.

"That's no mystery. They'd have his job for it," Aurelius said. "But I didn't cheat, and you know he wouldn't."

"Of course not, Rel, it's simply ridiculous," Alex agreed. "Besides, maybe they are just making a silly deal out of it, bad press and all that. I mean, I'd think if the governors were concerned about you being coached, they'd have come and talk to you about it, wouldn't they?"

"True," Aurelius said, taking the paper to look at it. "I just hate the fact that just because I'm brilliant, Father's getting heat about it."

"Well, don't get a fat head about it," Alex said in annoyance. "We all have our strengths, you know."

"I suppose. What's yours again?" Aurelius jeered. It was Aurelius' turn to be tackled then, and Andrew and Alicia were quick to help hold him down as Alex tickled him, ignoring his howling. Just then they heard a loud, "AHEM" from behind them and they all looked up in surprise to see Harry standing there, trying to keep a straight face.

"Studying hard, I see?" Harry said.

"Just letting off some steam," Andrew said quickly as they got up, Aurelius brushing himself off and glaring at them.

"Harry, did you happen to see _the Oracle_ today?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, I did," Harry sighed. "As a matter of fact, that's sort of what I want to talk to you about. Aurelius, Chairman Shea is coming here in a few minutes to have a quick chat with you, so you may think about making yourself presentable." Alicia frowned worriedly as Alex and Andrew exchanged a look of their own.

"I was _not _coached," Aurelius said flatly.

"Of course you weren't," Harry agreed. "He just needs to hear it from you, is all, for the record."

"For the record, I think this whole investigation sucks," Aurelius snapped. "With Ciardoth on the loose and him leading the Order of Merlin too, I'd think he'd be concentrating on that instead of this petty school crap."

"Rel, we all have different jobs to do, despite what evils there are in the world," Harry said. "And I really hope for your father's sake as well as your own that you don't talk like that in front of him, even if you do have a reason to be frustrated. Please, conduct yourself like…well, better than normal…please?"

"I'll conduct myself like a Slytherin Prefect," Aurelius said, raising his chin. His other siblings glanced at each other knowingly.

"Well, if that's the best you can do, all right," Harry said seriously. Aurelius glowered at him as he walked away. Would Chairman Shea believe him? Or was this whole allegation just the beginning of one big headache?


	7. On the Spot

Chapter Seven

On The Spot

When the strange knock came to the door, Severus looked up from his work, rolling his eyes in complete exasperation when he saw who it was.

"Oh, not you! Thurspire, what are you doing here? Actually, whatever it is, I don't care. I've been accused of enough in the last few weeks, thank you, so whatever you want to say, take it to Dumbledore," Severus said irritably, turning back to the scroll on staff policies he was studying.

"Actually, he's the one that told me to come to you," Thurspire said, ignoring Severus' growing annoyance at that. "And for the record, I'm not here to accuse you of anything."

"Really. Well, there's a first time for everything, I suppose. Do you mind? I'm frightfully busy," Severus said. Thurspire craned his long neck a bit to peer at what Severus was reading until Severus rolled it up and glared at him.

"Severus, why don't you just have the boy take a test of the board's making that you had nothing to do with? If he's half as brilliant as his grandfather, which I suspect he is, he'll prove once and for all you had little to do with it," Thurspire suggested.

"He shouldn't have to prove anything," Severus snapped angrily. "If it had been any other student in his year it wouldn't have been an issue at all."

"Probably true," Thurspire admitted.

"No probably about it. It's as wrong as you acting against Jennifer when she first arrived because of what Thomas was mixed up in with your father," Severus snapped at him. Thurspire gazed at him fixedly.

"Was I or was I not at the house burning last year?" Thurspire said evenly. "Or was that business about getting this all behind us solely for Thomas' benefit?" Severus sighed and turned back to the scroll, attempting to ignore him. "Besides, I only meant to help. You have to admit it would get the heat off of you."

"I have been accused of worse," Severus said. "I merely don't want him dragged further into the mess. Now if all you came here for was that bit of 'advice', I really think you ought to leave."

"Actually, it's about something entirely different, Severus," Thurspire said, leaning on the chair beside him. "I want to know what theories you have on Ciardoth's abilities of late and if she may be connected with this sudden 'blinding' effect on seers and others with second sight."

"Hardly anything new," Severus said, distractedly waving at the chair, Ederick sitting down quickly as if half afraid he'd change his mind. "When we were first beginning to realize just who and what Ciardoth was six years ago, Icarus happened to mention that there was a strange haze over events that happened to him during this time period. And the Centaurs stated more than once then that she was not in the stars."

"Well, I can understand why that happened if she truly is not supposed to be here," Ederick said. "But that does not explain recent events. Very reputable wizards with the gift have suddenly begun to draw a blank…including your adopted son's sister. She hasn't even been able to manage a weather report."

"I'm well aware of her current situation," Severus said.

"Then perhaps you have some theories for what is causing it?" Ederick prompted again.

"Only by assuming a lot of things we're not certain of yet. For example, I may assume that Ciardoth had something to do with this, directly or indirectly, but we do not know it for a fact. Right now we know too little to make any suppositions or rule anything out…unless you know something I don't. But considering you're willing to come to me, I would conjecture the Ministry has no more clue what this is than I do," Severus said.

"Perhaps," Ederick said expressionlessly. "But there is a very urgent need for some sort of conjecture. Something other than the most obvious worst case scenario, of course." Severus glanced up then, raising an eyebrow.

"Which is what, in your opinion?"

"That all the predictions that the majority of them have been professing over the past year are actually coming about," Ederick said seriously. "That perhaps they don't see anything because there isn't anything to be seen. Many of them are beginning to believe that the world as we know it really is about to end."

Severus gazed at him for a very long time before speaking.

"Do you often listen to prophetic doom-saying, Thurspire?"

"Well, no of course not, however…"

"Nor do I, or any other type of prophetic nonsense. Perhaps there are times when such things should be taken as a warning to be cautious, but I prefer to be cautious at any rate. Perhaps there are those out there who will be much better off having those silly predictions, astrologers and so forth silenced for awhile. They may even realize that destiny is determined by one's choices not by the draw of a card or the moving of a needle," Severus said bluntly.

"Yes, you say that, but really, Severus, I think you're only fooling yourself if you think we should just leave this," Thurspire said icily. "I know for a fact that Essie Brim has used her ability more than once to save your life and your children's. In fact, I dare think your family wouldn't be here without it. And even if you do want to deny that, I would make this argument. Had it been any other magical gift that was just snuffed out of existence, no matter what it was, you would be more than willing to stick your nose into this. Well, fine, wash your hands of it as easily as you always try to wash your hands of me. But this isn't about us. This isn't about the fact we hate each other, or even about your stubborn everyone-else-is-inferior-to-your-intellect attitude. This is about the fact that life as we know it may very well be on the line and this is merely a symptom that worse things are to come. I came to you only at Dumbledore's insistence that you are supposedly the expert in the subject, so I suppose you only have yourself to blame for what happens if you choose not to cooperate. Just remember then by doing so you're leaving it in my hands," Thurspire said crisply, watching Severus' facial expression change at the idea. "You know where my office is if you change your mind," he added as he walked out of the office.

Severus gazed over at the large frame on the wall, but it was currently empty. Pushing away his work and glancing at his watch, he decided to go help Jennifer in the lab to cool off for awhile.

As Jamie thundered onto the Hogwarts express to find Joanie, the four Snapes calmly put away their things and peered in each car looking for people they knew. The sound of sneezing alerted Alicia and she quickly found where Morfinn and Phoebe were sitting, while Halbert's deepening, bellowing voice attracted Andrew's attention. Alex joined Zoë, Zack, and Gretchen, while Aurelius strode directly up front towards the Prefect car, taking only a moment or two to nod at Slytherin on his way passed them.

Aurelius knocked briskly and waited for the door to open. Stella Bulstrode, the new Slytherin Prefect, nodded respectfully to him and let him in. Immediately he went over to the ornate table in the center of the room and raided the nuts before glancing around at the four, long, overstuffed couches that lined two walls, nodding stiffly to the other Prefects already there. Shelly Meadows, the sixth-year Gryffindor, was chatting companionably to Ralph Waldo, the seventh year who had taken over for the Ravenclaw Prefect. Seeing that Mary earned the window seat, Aurelius nodded to her respectfully.

"Meyers. Head Girl this year, I see?" Aurelius said.

"Yes, and boy was my brother furious about it," Mary said with an enigmatic smile. Aurelius couldn't help but sneer slightly at that.

"I suppose he would be. Still, perhaps he'll have a chance in a few years," Aurelius shrugged at her. Stella frowned at Aurelius, obviously not in favor of the idea. "I suppose since the Gryffindor couch is near the window, Gaffney got the other spot," he said, not too thrilled with that realization. Seeing the look of distaste on his face, Shelly beamed all the more.

"I think he's going to make a great Head Boy. At least, better than last years."

"No offense to Ravenclaw, but anyone is better than last year's choice," Aurelius said, Ralph looking uncomfortable. Archer had not been a popular Head Boy, and often had disappeared any time it looked as if he had to make a decision about anything.

"So, you have an owl this year, Snape? What happened to your snake?" Stella asked, waiting for him to get settled on the velvet forest green couch before sitting down herself.

"Oh, I still have Achilles. I've just been taking care of Fluke for Dumbledore since…well, he was Auror Belle's," Aurelius explained, lifting up the cover on his cage to check on him. Stella frowned slightly. "He really hasn't gotten over it yet, but I'm supposed to try to get him used to the castle so he can join the regular mail fleet there."

"I've been reading about it in the paper," Ralph said with a nod. "From what I hear you were awful lucky to have come out of it with just a concussion."

"I'm surprised you didn't try to take her on yourself, especially considering you told us you've had dealings with Ciardoth before," Stella said.

Aurelius didn't really care for her tone. In fact, he'd never really cared for her. But Jocelyn Farr had had few options as a successor when she had left. The obvious choice, her sister Juliet, was only a fourth year; and rather than leave Aurelius in the lurch having to take orders from choosing a seventh year, she chose a sixth. Not that Stella hadn't pulled in her fair share of points, Aurelius knew, but her tendency to follow Eigil Hauk's little clique had not endeared her to either one of them. But after making several compromises including agreeing to leave Aurelius as the head Prefect and promising to name Juliet as her replacement, Stella got the job. It was a decision that Aurelius even now wondered if he would come to regret over the next two years.

"Had I been given the opportunity, perhaps I would have," Aurelius answered evenly.

"Actually, I was rather wondering why you were staying there in the first place," Stella admitted. "Doesn't sound like much fun spending the summer with a pair of old washed-up Aurors. Were you working for them in some way?"

"Auror Belle happened to be my godmother," Aurelius snapped, but no one missed the way his face paled at the question. "And if I want to get away from the rest of my family for a while, it's hardly anyone's business but mine."

"We're sorry, Aurelius, we didn't know," Shelly said when a silence threatened to overtake the room. Aurelius merely nodded to her, but was grateful for her comment more than he let on. But before anyone could think of a way to change the subject there was a knock on the door and Stella got up to let in Mandria Shea, followed by Ted Gaffney, who looked rather smug.

"Make way for the new Head Boy, back in Gryffindor colors at last," Ted said cheerfully. Mandria and Aurelius both rolled their eyes as he strode to the window seat opposite Mary Meyers. "Sorry about the delay. Press, you know."

"Oh please, spare me," Aurelius said sourly. Ted turned and smiled wryly at his expression.

"I swear you sounded just like your father just then," he said cheerfully, putting a bag away.

"Oh, stop it, Ted, you know the press was there to hound my father," Mandria said, getting settled before turning to Aurelius again. "You're lucky you got here early. They'd have been over you like a magnet."

"Not likely. Harry Potter dropped us off," Aurelius said unconcernedly, setting Fluke's cage down and raiding the nuts again before getting out a schoolbook to glance over. "Besides, everyone knows the press will say anything against a Snape. I swear sometimes it feels like I'm a part of the royal family or something."

"We know you didn't cheat, Rel. I even told my father I didn't think so," Mandria said.

"All the same, I can see how it'd look bad," Ralph said. "Especially since your sister did above average as well."

"As far as my parents are concerned, she wasn't applying herself," Aurelius admitted. "But that's beside the point. I have been at the top of my class since the end of my second year, and I'd just as soon the governor's board would figure it out so they'd leave my father alone."

"Exactly. How many students in Hogwarts gets advanced a year in any subject, let alone take the top honors in the class?" Stella put in with a nod.

"Only that happens to be Snape's class as well, and Snape hasn't been known for his impartiality over the years," Ted said, Aurelius' eyes fixed on him. "Not that I don't think you're brilliant, Rel, but honestly, his record is against him in this and you know it, whether any of us believe it or not."

"I was not coached," Aurelius said bluntly, turning back to his book. The room fell into silence again, the only sound being that of the clacking of the train on the tracks.

"Rel, can I talk to you outside for a moment?" Mandria said at last. Sighing, Aurelius reluctantly put his book down and followed her out. She glanced around but everyone had settled into their compartments, and the sound of the train muffled their conversations. "Aurelius, look. I want you to be up front with me. I don't think my parents believe you were intentionally coached by Snape any more than I do, but are you sure he didn't, well, subconsciously help you in anyway? Advise you on what to study, or perhaps what to read over the summer?"

"Of course not, we pick whatever we want to read! Just because they make us study over the summer doesn't mean we're being coached!" Aurelius hissed angrily, glancing around conscientiously.

"Has he ever offered suggestions?"

"As a parent, yes, but what parent doesn't?" Aurelius said. Mandria sighed.

"Look, I know you're good at keeping secrets, so I'm going to tell you something despite the fact that I'm not supposed to talk about anything I hear my own parents saying. It's true they might not be able to get enough evidence to fire your father over this, but it is possible they may request that the four of you are transferred to a different school," Mandria said.

"WHAT?" Aurelius said so loudly that that Mandria tried to hush him as curious students began to peer out of their compartments. "They can't do that. They wouldn't dare!"

"I'm afraid they could at least recommend it as a preventative measure to keep these incidents from cropping up," Mandria said in a low voice, watching him seethe sympathetically. "Just…just be aware of it, Aurelius. I can only suggest you try to be really careful this year. Even the slightest bit of favoritism towards any of you may be very dangerous, especially if it gets out of the school…and not only in the classroom, but all those dinners at Sagittari, expeditions in the Dark Forest…"

"I'm not giving up visits to Pali," Aurelius said firmly. "And I'll quit and turn Muggle before I go to another school," he swore, slipping back inside. Mandria frowned worriedly, lost in thought a moment before following him back in.

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, leaned over his journal with a Phoenix feather quill, often pausing to think out his wording before adding it to his notes. He was so lost in what he was writing that he was not aware of anyone approaching his study until he heard the knock at the door. Gazing at it curiously, he glanced at the clock and noted the time. Taking a moment to rub his eyes, he stood, waving the doors open.

"Ah, Hermione," he said with a smile as she came in. "Everything ready for the Sorting, I trust?"

"Well, nearly, except for one little problem," Hermione said. "The paintings of Severus and Jennifer aren't staying in their frames."

"Well, you can hardly blame them for not wanting to stay in the offices, can you? Especially as dreary as Severus keeps his. You of all people know our paintings don't stay put. Even the frames seem to move themselves from time to time…" he said, squinting at the painting of Caprica Dusthorn who winked at him.

"Well, yes, I know but…I happened to observe the Severus painting stalking the Jennifer painting around the main stairwell," Hermione explained, Albus watching her steadily. "And then he caught her."

"Oh, I see," Albus said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, I don't think you've any reason to be concerned. Paintings share the personalities of their subject, as you well know, and I'm perfectly confident that once the students arrive they'll be the picture of conformity," he assured her mischievously.

"I don't know, Albus. I mean, the two of them never have carried on like that in the public eye before, either," Hermione pointed out.

"I'll talk to them if it'll make you feel better," Albus said easily. "Now, why don't you grab the Hat for me so we can head downstairs? I expect the train will be arriving soon." Albus straightened his desk, putting away the quill and journal and setting the candy dish in the drawer and pulling his appointment book over to glance at it. But as Hermione picked up the Sorting Hat off the shelf he was immediately distracted by the unusually loud protest of the Hat itself.

"Don't you _dare_ even think of putting her in another house!" the Hat declared loudly, mimicking Hermione's voice. Hermione froze in her tracks, her face paling as she stared at it. "If you do, I swear I'll put you on Ivy Sprout's scarecrow, sprinkle you with seed, and have the birds at you until even the Headmaster wouldn't recognize you!"

Albus gazed at Hermione over the rim of his glasses. Hermione, completely horror stricken, soon felt her face grow redder and redder as she gingerly put the Hat on the desk and backed away. The Hat scrunched up as if it were glaring accusingly at her.

"Hermione, I hope you don't think I'm too presumptuous in asking, but you haven't perhaps found an occasion to come in here alone and then attempted to threaten the Sorting Hat, have you?" Albus asked with a stern smile.

"I uh…that is to say…well," Hermione said, feeling all the more uncomfortable anytime she caught the patient but intent look in his eyes. "Sorry, Professor," she finally blurted out, grimacing.

"You know, it's been a long time since I assisted with the ceremony. I believe that I will do the honors of Sorting this year," he decided, ignoring the expression on her face. "After you've brought them in, of course. We can't have the Hat going in with a biased opinion, can we? Besides," he added, gently picking up the Hat. "If Joan were placed in Gryffindor just because of your attempts, I dare think you would never forgive yourself. I only hope the Hat won't be tempted to put her in Slytherin just to spite you now."

Albus was aware of the worried look on Hermione's face as he went down the spiral stairs, a private smile playing across his face once his back was turned. Hermione took a moment to pull herself together before following behind, hearing the sound of the train whistle in the distance.


	8. Uncertain of the Dawn

Chapter Eight

Uncertain of the Dawn

From the moment they got on the train, Andrew knew that his giant-blooded friend had more than surpassed his own astounding six foot one-and-a-half height over the summer. But it was when they got off and stood on the platform that Andrew realized by just how much. Many of the first years boarding the boats stopped to stare at Halbert curiously, craning their necks a bit to look at him.

"Think he plays Rugby?" one of the boys said to another who grinned at him in response.

"What? Hullo! It's Andrew!" said another boy who had overheard them from where he sat on a bench, watching everyone get off the train. Andrew looked over curiously.

"Johnny Martin?" Andrew said incredulously.

"That's right! Guess I'm going to be a wizard too," beamed the former Havener. "Living at Hogsmeade must have rubbed off."

"Welcome to Hogwarts, then!" Andrew said enthusiastically. "Maybe I'll see you at Gryffindor table!"

"Well, he certainly won't make Slytherin," said a pale girl coolly standing beside the other first years. But then Andrew heard the call to the coaches and waved at them, and he and Halbert turned to meet them.

"No doubts where that one is going, is there?" Halbert joked. Andrew only grinned at him as they got on.

In no time Andrew found himself back at the Gryffindor table sitting across from Zoë and Zack, and both of them seemed to be glad to be back in school for a change. Up at the Professors' table, he saw that his parents had taken their places. His mother smiled at him when he looked up, apparently just as happy to have them safely in Hogwarts as he was. Beside her was Professor Sprout, and on the other side of Sprout sat Anna, absorbed in something a Professor Omega was saying. Andrew was also surprised to see sitting by Madame Brittle a pink-haired woman he'd met before; Auror Tonks, who had acted as his grandfather's guard on occasion. So she was the new Transfiguration teacher?

A bit of a commotion at the Slytherin table made him look up to see a scramble as Eigil and several other students were made to move as Aurelius picked his seat; wearing that strange chiseled expression he got anytime he was interacting with his house. Alex appeared to be in deep conversation with Mandria and had a worried look on her face, while Alicia, Phoebe, June and Morfinn at Hufflepuff were laughing at something Ginger Davidson had just said.

Andrew looked up as Dumbledore came in, twirling about the Sorting Hat until it looked dizzy. But instead of setting it down to take his seat, Dumbledore walked in front of the table. He seemed unconcerned about the questioning looks from the staff and he gestured for them to go ahead and sit down. He then glanced around and smiled at the students, his eyes seeming to meet every single pair of theirs. No, of course he couldn't be; Dumbledore must be looking over their heads. Andrew chuckled at himself. But then an amused twinkle came into Dumbledore's eyes and he winked, and somehow that time Andrew was certain it was directed at him. Before he could think about it, Dumbledore had lifted his head to catch Professor Weasley's eye and she left.

The students waited in anticipation until the doors opened again and Professor Weasley led the first years in. The grin on her face was strangely unnerved, but it was obvious why as just a couple steps behind her and side by side walked Joanie and Jamie. One with curly medium brown hair and the other with straight brown hair, but otherwise looking very much alike as they walked down the aisle in their new Hogwarts robes.

Tailing at the end was Johnny Martin, who had made quick friends with the two boys that had been aside him. He stopped when he heard his name called out, then grinned at a surprised Alex and waved at her. He also couldn't resist a wave at Jennifer when they reached the front. She grinned widely at him and said something to Severus, who gave him an appraising look.

"Welcome to all; new, old, and ancient," Dumbledore said mischievously. "I have a feeling this is going to prove a memorable year for all of us at Hogwarts, and I for one cannot wait to get started. I hope you don't mind, but I've decided to help with the Sorting myself this year. And I must say, never in all my years have I seen so much promise and potential present in the Great Hall at any given time. Yes, it's going to be quite exciting," he added cheerfully, placing the Hat on the stool.

Several of the first years blinked as the Sorting Hat seemed to be looking at them, its brim curling as if musing over what to say.

_For over eleven centuries, at Gryffindor's command,_

_The greatest minds of wizard kind have been my Hat stand._

_Generations pass through these halls, and every one through me_

_But time does not stand still, you know, and soon you'll be history._

_For the sun will set upon this school and night will soon descend;_

_It is not for me, the Sorting Hat, to guess what the future portends._

_But come along and join the throng, out of your head your House will be drawn;_

_For the present dictates I read your fate while we wait uncertain of the dawn ._

Dumbledore furrowed his brow at the Hat while behind him the students clapped unsurely. None of them missed the looks of alarm and loss of color in the faces of the faculty as they followed their example and applauded, Jennifer glancing at her husband's face before attempting to get a look at the Headmaster's. But the Headmaster had already turned to the scroll before him, his momentary frown soon replaced by an enigmatic smile as he looked down the list of names.

"Agatha Barrister," he said, smiling at the girl Halbert and Andrew had noticed before. She was a thin but pretty girl with pale skin and long, thin dark hair, stepping primly up to take a seat on the stool. The two of them grinned knowingly at each other when the Hat declared, _"Slytherin!" _

"Mayhew Brown," he continued, who went to Hufflepuff, Cromwell to Ravenclaw, and so on down the list until finally Andrew's patience was rewarded when the Headmaster finally reached the M's.

"John Martin," he said, smiling at the boy before he even stepped up, grinning nervously as he took the stool. Jennifer leaned a bit to try to see his face until Severus tugged on her sleeve, and sheepishly she sat back. _"Gryffindor!"_ the Hat declared, and Jennifer applauded enthusiastically, Severus less so as his eyes squinted at the student who undoubtedly was due to sit upon the stool next.

"Jamie Potter," the Headmaster said with a widening smile. Grinning back at him, the girl stepped up; turning to meet her cousin's eye where Joanie stood among those that remained. It didn't take long for the Hat to shout Gryffindor again, and the entire table broke into a roaring applaud as Jamie beamed brightly, nearly skipping as she headed to the House her parents had both graduated from.

"Edward Porter." Johnny Martin couldn't help but be disappointed when the Muggleborn he had chatted with earlier went into Hufflepuff with his other mate, Stan Hale. Glumly he put his head in his hand, watching to see who the next of his classmates would be.

One by one the R names and S names dwindled, and as Dumbledore went through the T's, Joanie realized that being a W she was very likely to be the last one…and as she realized the last two beside her was Van Kort (Ravenclaw) and Vandenhoff (Slytherin), she was unsurprised to find herself standing alone, waiting for her name to be called. But then he began to roll up the list as if missing her presence, and she cleared her throat quite insistently.

"Oh, my goodness, were you waiting to be Sorted?" Dumbledore said mischievously, several students close enough to overhear grinning at each other.

"If it's not too inconvenient," Joanie said evenly. Looking even more amused, Dumbledore made a play at looking at the scroll again.

"Joan Weasley," he said with a smile as she stepped up, glancing at her mother, who looked even more nervous than she did. In no time, Dumbledore was sitting the Hat on her head, and it immediately began to grumble to itself out loud.

"I really shouldn't do this, you know," the Hat grumbled. "I am well within my rights to put her wherever I like!"

"Well, do so and be done with it, if you don't mind? I myself am getting rather hungry as I'm sure everyone else is."

"Oh, very well! After all, it's hardly _her_ fault, is it?" the Hat sighed. _"Gryffindor!"_

Sheer relief passed over Hermione's face as Joanie went to join her cousin, looking back as Dumbledore went to take his place, patting the Deputy Headmaster on the back ignoring the fact she looked as if she were going to fall over from the gesture.

"What on earth was all of that about?" Jamie asked as Joanie took her place at the end of the table.

"Who knows with that Hat? There should have been little doubt that I was going to be in Gryffindor," Joanie said so matter-of-factly that several of her fellow first years shrugged at each other before turning their attention to the front as Dumbledore led them in another painful rendition of the school song.

Jennifer rubbed her arms distractedly as she and Severus walked out of the Great Hall, the corridors feeling strangely chill for so early in the fall. Many of the other members of faculty had broken into groups, and an excited murmur could be heard from the staff room.

"Not going in?" Jennifer murmured quietly.

"Dumbledore has very little control over what the Hat chooses to say or not say. You know as well as I that he was just as surprised about what it said as we were," Severus said, leading her towards the back stair.

"What do you suppose it meant, that business about the sun setting on the school?" Jennifer asked, trying to remember it word for word in her mind.

"Whatever it meant, it was contradictory," Severus pointed out, "for it professed it was not its place to say what the future portends, despite the fact it attempted to paint us a bleak future."

"Yes, that is very strange," Jennifer murmured. "Do you suppose whatever is causing Essie and the others' problems may be somehow affecting items as well?"

"Well, it didn't seem to be off on Sorting the students," Severus said tersely, a hint of irritation in his voice. "There wasn't a single first year sorted tonight that I couldn't have predicted exactly where they were going." Jennifer grinned in amusement at that, following him up the stairs.

Jennifer tried to put her concerns about the rhyme behind her, especially since Severus didn't seem to be too troubled by it. He had been distant lately; and although she had trouble reading any detail within his thoughts she could plainly see how Ciardoth's presence was plaguing him. What had happened to Audi and Alastor had hit him much harder than he had let on to anyone but her, and she knew that nothing short of her defeat would end his growing restlessness. But so far, Jennifer found she could still bring him out of it with a touch, or a gesture, or a question about something entirely unrelated; short conversations filled with trivialities of work or family gave their minds temporary relief from what was hanging over them. And although she, like her husband, had little doubt it would not be long before Ciardoth made her next move, she never would have guessed it was going to happen that very night.

It had started as a very normal dream for Jennifer; working at Kingler's Café as it had been before the fire, serving out coffee and talking to some of the locals. A storm whipped up outside, the rain chasing in people off the streets as it often did, and Jennifer found she was bracing himself waiting for Erascus to enter with dry hair and clothes despite the storm. She knew now he had used magic. At the time she had not. A curious sensation of disorientation came over her as the melding of Jacqueline and herself as she was now mingled through her subconscious. But Erascus didn't come in, and she found herself putting down the pot and staring at the glass door in confusion.

Just then, the door shattered into millions of pieces and smoke filled the air, and Jennifer found herself dashing outside despite her fear that her friends would be trapped behind her. The storm pelted down on her from every direction, the wind so fierce and dark that she had to shield her eyes, barely registering the flash of lightning through her eyelids as thunder rumbled all around her. But the thunder never let up. Instead it grew louder and louder. The ground began to shake so violently that Jennifer dared open her eyes again to see the ground rising up, but as she reached for her wand, she realized she was still dressed as Jacqueline. A flash went through her mind…a woman's icy face she recognized at once. Before she could react, the ground beneath her feet opened up and she stumbled, screaming out Severus' name in pure desperation without any true hope that he could reach her.

Severus woke up to find his temples pulsing, a rumble of thunder in his mind and the sensation of someone shaking him awake. But when he looked around he saw nothing out of its place as first, the windows shut tight against the beating rain and nothing out of place. And yet…something had assuredly woken him. He waved the candles as he moved to sit up, but the moment that he did so they suddenly began to flicker wildly in unusually bright pulses and unusually dim ones in unmistakable warning. Immediately he turned to shake Jennifer, but then noticed she was strangely stiff and pale.

"Jennifer…Jennifer, wake up!" Severus said insistently, fear welling in him as he put his trembling hand beneath her nose. Her breathing was quite shallow…in fact it was erratic…struggling. She was in terrible trouble, there could be no doubt about it…and his mind went back to the last time he had struggled to wake her up. Leaping up he grabbed his cloak and frantically grabbed for a Telepathy potion, hoping the small phial would be enough. "Come on, come on, start working already," he snarled at himself as he tried to calm down, touching her head and closing his eyes.

A moment later, Severus found himself digging with his hands in a pile of something strange…something that resembled dirt, but was a magical force of some kind and he forced his hands to go faster than what they couldn't have if he had been awake. Suddenly he found himself grasping an arm and with all his strength he was yanking Jennifer out, pulling her to him while she looked at him both dazed and wary at the same time.

"Are you all right?" Severus asked.

"Are you just a part of this dream?" Jennifer said back.

"I suppose you'll find that out if we can get you to wake up," Severus said, handing out her wand. Having absolutely no idea how he could have possibly gotten something so physical in the dream, Jennifer took it, frowning. "Jennifer, Ciardoth may have control over this dream, but it's still your mind setting the stage. If we're going to get out of here, we must first force a scenery change. Do you understand?" Jennifer frowned but nodded slowly. "Ciardoth! Show yourself, I know you're here!" he shouted, his voice echoing through what now appeared to be a deserted swamp, blackened by the dark clouds above them.

"This looks familiar," Jennifer murmured as she called up a light.

"It should. She's using your subconscious thought to create this trap," Severus said, sweeping the area in front of him warily with his wand. "But I have a feeling she wasn't expecting me."

"Perhaps not," echoed a cold voice that seemed to come from all around them. "But your presence will not change anything that is about to occur. It will not now, it will not in the end!"

"In that case why don't you come out so we can see you," Severus said calmly, but the echo died in the muffled sounds of night creatures within the boggy waters.

"I know this place now," Jennifer said at last, seeing something white in the water. "But it's more of a memory than a…" but she stopped cold as the body below the marsh floated to the surface and realized it was indeed another one of her nightmare's as the corpse revealed Alex's bloated form. In horror she stumbled back only to bump into Severus, and turned to see Aurelius' drowned face under the murky water before him. Severus grabbed her before she could react as Andrew and Alicia's faces also appeared to either side of them.

"It's a dream, it's just a dream…" Severus said for his benefit as well as hers.

"A dream she can hurt us in! She's done it before!" Jennifer shouted back at him.

"But it's still your dream in your sleep and in your mind! Take us somewhere else, Jennifer!" Severus pleaded fervently, and she met her own reflection in his eyes.

Jennifer heard the sound of a woman sobbing then and glanced around, quite surprised to find that they were standing in the corridor before the doors of the Great Hall; the torches dim as they would be late at night. The two of them looked up to see Hermione walking in from the side corridor, her face red and obviously shaken by something.

"What is it? What's happened?" Jennifer said in alarm, unable to keep herself from asking.

"It's Albus, Jennifer. He just…he said there was a student in danger and took off running and then he just…collapsed," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "He's in some sort of coma and Sagittari says…he's doesn't think…he may not wake up at all," she finally got out. Unable to bear it anymore, Hermione walked on towards her office. "I need to send out some letters."

"Dumbledore," Jennifer said in terror, Severus catching her arm before she made a move to run to the medical wing.

"It isn't real, Jennifer," Severus said, but Jennifer didn't miss the fear in his own eyes or the loss of color in his face. "Ciardoth is just showing your fears to manipulate you. You must break free from it. You must wake up."

"But Dumbledore…"

"Is fine in his office! Wake up and see for yourself! Try, Jennifer, put all your energy into it! This is a dream… just a dream and you must wake up now!" he ordered, growing more and more insistent.

She had had nightmares before. Many of them. And many times had she forced herself awake to escape them. Why was this any different? Why did she feel so helpless to fight it? Her head pulsed and swam strangely, and somehow she knew it was something outside of her, calling her back. She wanted to wake up…she _had_ to wake up. A sensation much like struggling to reach the surface of water after running out of air overtook her and her eyes opened wide and she gasped awake, Severus doing the same from where he was lying across her.

"Severus?" Jennifer said, immediately reaching for him.

"It's all right, I think we're back," Severus said softly giving her a tight relieved hug. She paused only an instant before grabbing for her charm bracelet to study it. But before Severus could reach for his watch, there was a knock at the door. Leaping out of bed they both scrambled for their robes and were in his sitting room in seconds, opening it to see the worried face of Hermione.

"Sorry to wake you, but we just had a fluctuation of wild magic and Dumbledore wants security checks done," Hermione said.

"Dumbledore's all right?" Jennifer asked anxiously.

"Yes, of course. He was working in his office when it happened," Hermione said, glancing at the torches in the hall. "It seems to have stopped now."

"Perhaps, but it seems that the battle has just begun," Severus said, while Hermione frowned at the haunted expressions on their faces. "Let's go see the Headmaster," he added, Jennifer nodding and following behind him. Severus slowed down long enough to inspect his watch carefully to make doubly sure that the children were snug in their house rooms. But Jennifer found herself preoccupied with her own thoughts, wondering if she'd ever be able to get to sleep again.


	9. Snape's New Agenda

_A/N Sorry about the delay, running into some tricky spots up ahead...but I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is special to me, because it begins to truly answer the question: how has the events in the last 23 years (and 13.5 books) affected Severus Snape...and more specifically in this chapter, his teaching style. Developing a character, in my opinion, doesn't necessarily mean so much about changing them as much as it means making them ...well, more of who they were to begin with...we all have quirks we grow out of, get over, or work hard to overcome, but it's still a part of us...which is what I really wanted to get across with this character. So in summary, I hope you enjoy what may be possibly the last Snape class monologue of the series. (No promises since I work on method :P But I think this is it.) Also, of course, some follow up on the nailbiting last chapter...there's going to be a few of those this book, I warn you; thanks for reading, and all the reviews! JCWriter_

Chapter Nine

Snape's New Agenda

Severus had a conference before lunch so only had one class that morning. But it was hardly one he was looking forward to, for he had double Defense with first years; Gryffindor and Slytherin. He glared at Hermione Weasley when he had seen the schedule, but in the last couple of years she had gotten used to those first reactions from he and the rest of the staff when they received an unfavorable combination.

"It was the only way I could work it in," she shrugged unapologetically. "I already have to juggle sixth and seventh years' schedules to make sure Aurelius can make his Defense class, you know."

Letting out an irritated yet resigned sigh, he stomped out of the room to finish his paperwork. Of course, at that point he had not known that Ciardoth was going to make a move.

Neither he nor Jennifer had been able to get back to sleep that night. After talking with Albus on what happened, Severus sat down with a large pot of coffee with Jennifer to work things out. Severus had then reluctantly retreated to his classroom to find some way to approach this with his classes. He found himself in a bit of a dilemma; for he knew the safest course of action was not one that the board was about to approve of. Drumming his fingers absently, he took out both his journal and lesson plan, making notes in each before getting up to seek out his children.

In the Great Hall, Joanie and Jamie weren't any more thrilled about the idea of a double Defense class as Snape was in giving it. They had heard a dozen too many horror stories growing up about them, despite the fact that their parents conversations often ended in laughter. Even some of their other classmates looked sympathetic and apologetic.

"Just make sure you do what he says and pay attention," Andrew advised. "It's really not as bad as what they're making it out to be, especially since last year."

"Well, it's true he was a lot better after he decided Eigil Hauk was slime," Ted admitted. "But I think it's asking too much to think he'll be that way again this year."

"He's not in charge of Slytherin any more. He has no reason to be biased against us," Halbert reasoned.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Ted said, pushing away his breakfast. "You guys had better watch your step."

"Speaking of which, there he is now," Halbert said, and Andrew looked up to see Severus coming over.

"Family meeting, my office at lunch," he murmured to Andrew, and Andrew nodded thoughtfully. As Snape turned to walk away, Andrew suddenly thought about it.

"There will be food, right?" Andrew said. Severus rolled his eyes, making his way to Alicia.

Alex had just sit down to breakfast when she saw her father making the rounds, watching him curiously as he spoke to Aurelius and then came over to her table.

"Family meeting, my office at lunch," Severus said in a low voice.

"Does this have anything to do with the board meeting tomorrow night?" Alex asked bluntly.

Mandria glared at her, but when Severus' eyes flicked over at her she became quickly interested in her breakfast, refusing to meet his gaze.

"This is a serious family matter," Severus said evenly. "I wouldn't call it over anything so trivial. Don't be late," he added before walking off.

"Trivial?" Alex repeated once he was out of range, glancing at Mandria.

"I told you not to mention it! Nobody's supposed to know about it, and now he already thinks I told you something!" Mandria hissed at her.

"Well, they can't do it, you know. They wouldn't dare," Alex said. "Especially not to me, considering I graduate this year. I wonder what it is he wants to talk about, then?"

"I'm sure I don't know," Mandria said. "But I still think you're all downplaying the board more than you ought to."

"Well, we'll find out about that more by Thursday," Alex said, hurrying to finish her breakfast. "But now I admit I'm curious as to what would prompt such a family meeting on the first day of school."

At first, Jamie wondered if she and Joanie had gotten into the wrong classroom as she spied the bespectacled figure huddled over his desk. His black hair was tied back and his black eyes were intent upon the pile of books and scrolls in front of him, looking rather like an accountant tediously searching to find a lost Knut. But an inquisitive caw from the Stymphalian sitting on his stand near the mantle caused the wizard to look up, his small black eyes immediately fixing on them.

In that instant, Jamie forgot her first impression and the spectacles and recognized the strong, almost frighteningly solemn man who had often come to see her father; always on some sort of dark business relating to his work. So startling was the difference that at first she didn't move, quite wary now and having very little idea of what to expect.

"Well?" Snape finally said looking between them. "If you're waiting for an invitation, I think you've come to the wrong party," he said.

Chagrined, the two girls glanced at each other and headed for the back row as he stood, gazing at them both with such an intense gaze that other students coming in were a bit reluctant to break it by walking in front of it.

"Let's get one thing clear from the beginning, Potter, Weasley…" Snape paused and suddenly groaned. "God, I was hoping never to have to say those names in one sentence again. Be that as it may," he continued, ignoring the smug look that had crossed over their faces. "I will only say this once. I don't care who your father is. I don't care who your mother is. When you are in this class, you are merely students and you are on my time. You are not above the rules and are expected to follow them. You will be judged merely on your success at doing so, and your scholastic performance or lack thereof. No matter if your name is Potter, Snape, or Martin," Severus said, his eyes flicking over at Johnny who merely grinned back at him. "Or even Barrister," he added, glancing at the girl who eyed him steadily back.

"When that bell rings, you will be in your seats, and for the _entire_class…no matter how insufferably long it may seem to you…your attentions will be on me and on my direction. And trust me, these long first year doubles are no more fun for me than they are for you. However, maybe somehow I can use that time to burrow into your heads some means to protect yourselves. For whether you know it or not, Defense against the Dark Arts is the most important class you have. None of the others will matter that much if you are dead. And there are two truths I think you need to be aware of before I begin now that everyone is present. The first is that there are many dark forces out there that are more than willing to kill no matter who you happen to be. And the second, Miss Potter, is the fact that there are also dark forces who are especially motivated to kill a person or a family member of a person they see as a direct threat. So, ignore my warning at your own expense. I will do my part to teach you. You have only yourselves to blame if you don't heed the instruction. And lastly, I want to say that anything you have heard about this class is probably true, so I trust I won't have any reason to hand out any disciplinary actions to add to whatever list of horror stories have compounded over a generation," Severus with a curt nod. Everyone, including Jamie and Joanie, merely looked back somberly at him.

"As many of you know, two of this country's best defenders against such forces, Aurors who are licensed to track down dark wizards, died at the hands of a dark creature whose origin is not of this universe who calls herself Ciardoth. I've heard many quote how this act has made these dark times. But from my experience, I can tell you that all times are dark times. It does not go away or fade, although it may lie in wait for awhile for another face to take up its name. No one is safe. Safety is an intangible idea that cannot truly be obtained by any standards. It is the expense we pay for our free will, something of which you still have, regardless of who may try and tell you otherwise. It doesn't matter how careful you are in prevention…something will always slip through, and even if not, one is hardly safe from oneself. That you cannot escape." He paused a moment in thought, but no one moved.

"In fact, there was actually an attempt by Ciardoth to harm a member of the staff while all of you were sleeping last night," he added getting an immediate reaction and murmur of surprise until he held up a hand. "However, the situation was diffused…temporarily. Ciardoth, it seems, has developed a way to invade an unsuspecting person's dreams and even cause physical harm to them by using her wild magic to substantiate the ethereal quality that lies within. So I would suggest that if you experience anything out of the ordinary in that area to report it to myself or one of your advisors. Yes, Miss Weasley, I had a feeling you would be the first to interrupt me in the middle of a lesson. What might I ask is so important?" Severus sighed, frowning at her.

"I was just wondering about what you meant by unsuspecting, sir. I mean, how can one fight something like that if they're asleep?"

"Not letting something like that in your head in the first place comes to mind…" Severus began but then caught himself. "Anything can be defended against, Miss Weasley, if one is aware they are in danger and recognize certain warning signs, which is one of the things we're going to be looking at today," he said, turning to the blackboard. "But the first thing you need to recognize are your true enemies, which are…you will have your notebooks open by now and quills in hand before the chalk hits the slate from now on…" he frowned at them as they scrambled to get ready. Then he wrote a series of words on the board; Ignorance, Fear, Assumption, Overconfidence, Indifference, Self Doubt, Misplaced Trust, Lack of Reason, Lack of Awareness, Lack of Self Discipline, Lack of Preparation, Lack of Communication. "These twelve items I have listed can kill you just as certainly or as quickly as any one of the twelve death spells," Severus said, drawing a circle around them. "And any of them, some of them, or all of them add up to one thing; Lack of Control," he said putting that up and turning again. "I will not lie to you. You cannot necessarily control every single predicament. But in those cases, you must learn how to enable yourself to get back into a situation with options so that you can get control again. It is these that we will be exploring this year; along with, combined with, and over and above what the book has to say. Because the truth of the matter is that the book can only go so far. Until you can conquer or at least acknowledge the existence of these problems, you have no chance at survival against anything." The class glanced at the blackboard thoughtfully, but nobody spoke a word.

Both Jennifer and Severus looked and felt quite tired by the time lunch came around. He was sitting at his desk kneading his head when she came in, and she smiled at him sympathetically.

"How'd your new agenda go?" she asked, turning over some lunch trays.

"I had no problems but I didn't expect any. Jennifer, would you hand me a headache phial out of my cloak? I'm out of powders again," he said.

"You're getting much too stressed about everything going on," Jennifer said with a knowing sigh, but went to get it. "You're out. Let me go get one."

"Out? I shouldn't be unless you borrowed it. I filled the entire cloak when we finished bottling the lab," Severus frowned. "You're looking in the wrong slot."

"Severus, honestly! You keep it between your Telepathy potion and your Wakeful Dose. I think I can tell the difference," Jennifer chided him, putting the cloak back on the hook. "Let me go get you some more potions. I'm sure we have a minute or two before all four of them can get here."

But as she left, Severus found himself gazing unsurely at the cloak. He got up and grabbed it, turning it inside out to inspect the narrow satin pockets lining the inside. Frowning, he stared at the empty pocket in alarm then reached in to inspect the reddish liquid beside it. How could this be? The sound of voices from the classroom caused him to quickly put the Telepathy potion back, tossing it on the hook as Alex and Alicia came in, gazing at his alarmed face curiously.

"Grab a sandwich and have a seat," Severus said, the two of them glancing at one another before heading over to the tray, Alicia still going on about Transfiguration.

"She does seem to know what she's doing," Alicia said to her quietly, "but I think it'd be better if she tried not walking around. It's really hard to concentrate on what she's saying when she's knocking stuff off her desk, or our desks, or things off the back shelves when she passes them."

"All the same, I'm glad I'm not taking it this year," Alex admitted, then glanced back at her father. "I hear she's only staying a year as well? What does it take to get a permanent teacher around here?"

"Someone with a stomach of iron and a head to match," Severus said dryly. He heard an inquisitive squawking noise from the next room. "I wasn't referring to you!" he told Descartes, frowning out the door at him.

"Good thing you didn't say anything about a baleful glare," Alicia grinned, leaning down to pet Rasputin.

"Alicia, don't touch reptiles before eating. You know better than that!" Alex scolded her. Rasputin hissed in protest. "Well, it might make her ill, you know."

"Alex, what have I told you about upsetting my familiars? Come in, come in, Andrew, have you seen your brother?" Severus asked.

"No, I just had Herbology. Guess what? Halbert is planning to go into veterinary medicine," Andrew said, sitting down by the others.

"Really? I always thought Halbert didn't like Potions or Herbology," Alex said.

"Oh, he's always liked Potions all right. If you ask me, he only got interested in Herbology because we keep getting paired with Hufflepuff for it," Andrew chuckled to himself.

"Still hung up on Ginger Davidson? I'd have thought he'd have gotten over that by now," Alicia said. "Why doesn't she tell him she's simply not interested?"

"Because she's afraid Andrew won't be interested in her if she does," Alex said slyly.

"Oh, cut it out, Alex."

"Well, it is true, you know…"

"Please, would you all 'cut it out?' I hardly called you here to let you gossip. You can do that on your own time," Severus scolded them, gratefully taking the potion out of Jennifer's hand as she entered and got settled.

"What's the conversation about?"

"Ginger Davidson," Alex said before Severus could say a word.

"Oh yes, what a mess, that. She still has a crush on you, you know," Jennifer confided to Andrew, who grimaced.

"Jennifer, do you mind?" Severus said in annoyance, glancing at his watch. Just then Aurelius arrived, glancing around before closing the door behind him.

"Sorry. House business," he explained before taking a seat.

"What sort of house business?" Alicia asked, getting nudged by her mother for doing so.

"Now, as you will hear in brief in my class if you have not heard rumors of it already, Ciardoth once again has attempted to attack us by going through your mother's dreams, much like she orchestrated with Lucius Malfoy," Severus said, the four growing immediately alarmed. "However, this time I was able to work my way into the situation before any harm was done. It must not happen again to any one of us," he said firmly, meeting each gaze. "At the very least, it should not be allowed to take one of us completely unaware. There are steps each of us can take against such a mental attack, and therefore as a family we will be studying them, starting with tonight and every night until the beginning of clubs and Quidditch practice, and then every single weekend until further notice. I know, Aurelius, that you have some instinctual blocks, but even you could benefit from lessons in Occlumency. Have any of you had any unusual or violent nightmares lately? Even in the last year or so?" he asked and they shook their heads. Aurelius looked thoughtful.

"Not since that first night. The first time she did it last year," Aurelius said.

"The first time that we know of," Severus corrected. "We have no way of knowing if she's ever used such an attack outside of our family that went unreported."

"Wait a minute, do you mean she could be doing this to someone else?" Alex said with alarm.

"Highly likely," Severus agreed.

"Then what about everyone else? I mean, are you going to be teaching mental disciplines to the other students?" she asked.

"My agenda is hardly an appropriate subject for a family discussion," Severus frowned, but then paused. "However, since your friends are affected…well, without boring you too much with faculty regulations and all that detail, I am not technically able to teach such disciplines on a classroom basis because of concerns over safety and personal privacy issues…actually, it's a long story having to do with something that happened early on in the Voldemort years, and I'd rather not get into it. I think the main course of action at this time is to make sure everyone is aware there is a danger and to stress that they should report anything unusual to a staff member."

"That is hardly going to be enough," Aurelius frowned. "Think about the Diamond incident and how many people were affected by that and still didn't report them because they 'didn't think it would happen to them.'"

"Aurelius, whether or not I agree with you, we are getting off the subject. I hardly think I need advice from you about what to teach. Right now I want you to merely see to your own concerns."

"Which as you've pointed out involves protecting ourselves against Ciardoth," Aurelius went on. "That's something I think we won't effectively be able to do until we know exactly what she's after. As much as it drives me insane to say it, I feel as if we're being distracted away from something else. Something bigger. How can we defend against her when we don't know what her game plan is? We've got to find out exactly why she's doing what she's doing and what her main focus is because I seriously doubt that these attacks are random attempts at annoying you."

"_We_ are not going to do anything. You…the four of you, are going to concern yourselves with your schooling and what protective measures I ask you to take," Severus said firmly, not particularly reassured by Aurelius' defiant frown. "Other than reporting anything unusual from fellow classmates, especially paying attention to those in your own houses who seem to be losing an unusual amount of sleep and so on, you will stay out of this as much as possible. Is that quite clear?" Dutifully they answered, but behind them Severus caught Jennifer's dubious look as she shook her head almost imperceptibly, worry evident in her eyes. "Good. Be certain then we'll be keeping an eye out to see that you do," he warned them. But as they gazed solemnly back at him, he knew it would hardly be a deterrent. "Very well, you're dismissed," he said resignedly. Andrew and Aurelius loaded up on another handful of sandwiches as they headed out, whispering softly to one another as they walked out. "I say, Jennifer, did they all have to inherit that Craw habit of getting into things they shouldn't?"

"And just where did you inherit it from, then?" Jennifer challenged him. "It's hardly a one-sided trait. Besides, you're the one who's always telling me we have to start trusting them to use their own judgment whether we like it or not now that they're almost out of school."

"I never said it would be easy," Severus grumped, and Jennifer came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck, seeking comfort for herself as well as her own as she tried to push aside the overwhelming worry flooding her mind. But Severus' thoughts were squarely on Aurelius' words, and those of Thurspire just days before.


	10. Seeking Solace

Chapter Ten

Seeking Solace

As much pressure as Severus and Jennifer were under, they truly didn't realize yet that their four children were under much more; for they had met after lunch to discuss the danger they were in with the board as well as the pressures from Ciardoth.

Although the other three found some comfort in Severus' unconcerned behavior over the governor board matter in favor of starting them on basic mental exercises, Alicia felt anything but reassured about Occlumency when it became obvious that their own mother seemed to be the most vulnerable to mental attacks because of her longtime openness to read those around her. No matter how hard Jennifer tried, she couldn't seem to manage a simple block. Despite wanting to try and work with each one equally, Severus found himself turning to his wife most often, complaining that she wasn't even trying. As the others concentrated on the instruction, Alicia found her bored mind often thinking of what she wanted to do afterwards, only pausing when she had to smack away foreign thoughts when it was her turn. She batted at the intrusion with her mind with such irritation about being interrupted that Severus couldn't help but wonder at it. But being that it was the first lesson, Severus decided to not to comment on it. He also didn't say a word when she hurried out the door, but was slightly comforted when he saw the other three in a hurry to catch up with her.

"Aren't you going to your house rooms? It's rather late, you know," Alex said.

"I have to do something first," Alicia answered.

"We shouldn't be going anywhere alone with all that's going on," Andrew said, having some idea where she was going. "I think I'll join you."

"Well, don't miss curfew," Aurelius warned them. "I've got bed check tonight, and I won't be lenient if you don't make it before the House painting give me their bed counts."

"You can't take off points if you don't see anything," Andrew said easily.

"Don't tempt me," Aurelius said. "Things have gotten much too serious to fool around with late night excursions."

"Don't worry, Rel, we'll be back on time," Alicia sighed, saying it more to get him off their back rather than really meaning to watch the clock. Glancing at Andrew, Alicia and he headed down the stairs.

"I suppose she'll be glad to see us," Andrew commented after they had gotten to the second landing.

"I'm definitely going to be glad to see her at any rate," Alicia agreed, picking up her step as they turned into the Trophy Room. "Hello, everyone!" she said cheerfully to the paintings as she walked in, getting a few answers in response. But as she turned to face the door she found herself in complete shock, for the painting of Caprica Dusthorn wasn't there. "Caprica?" she said, feeling a panic welling up within her.

"Do you suppose Mr. Pyther is cleaning it or something?" Andrew asked thoughtfully.

"He wouldn't have moved her from this room!" Alicia said certainly.

"Maybe she's having another one of her parties," Andrew said, glancing at his watch. "We still have some time. Let's go see if Bedivere is in his spot."

Without acknowledging him, Alicia turned down the corridor leading to the back classrooms. Andrew followed close behind as she entered a darkened hall and pushed open the door to a dusty abandoned room. Slightly relieved at seeing the small frame there and the old Symbology master once again reading his book, Alicia walked over to it, immediately causing him to look up and smile at her.

"Why, good evening, Alicia! Welcome back to Hogwarts!" he said.

"Thanks, Professor, but have you seen Professor Dusthorn? Her frame is not in the Trophy Room," Alicia said.

"Oh that! Yes, I know, but don't worry. She's quite all right. She was just moved to another location in the castle, is all. Shall I tell her you dropped by?" he said.

"Actually, I'd much rather see her. I really need to talk to her," Alicia said, but he frowned and shook his head sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, Alicia, but I'm afraid right now that just wouldn't be possible. You see, she's really very, very busy."

"Why on earth would a painting be busy?" Andrew asked.

"And since when is she too busy for a friend?" Alicia added angrily. "She's the one that told me to come here…"

"I promise I will let her know you dropped by. I'm sure she'll come to see you the moment you're both free," Bedivere said. "Besides, it is getting rather late, isn't it?"

"He is right about that, Alicia," Andrew agreed. "Come on, I'll walk you to your rooms."

"I just don't understand," Alicia grumbled as they left. "He's never, ever not gotten her before when I wanted to see her. It's just not right. Maybe I should go look for her."

"I hardly think it's anything to be worried about," Andrew said, taking her arm. "I mean, what sort of trouble can a painting get into?"

"Andrew, this is Professor Dusthorn we're talking about."

"Oh, right," Andrew agreed, remembering then some of the mischief she had caused with late night get-togethers with other paintings and ghosts the year before. "Look, if she doesn't show up tomorrow, we'll talk to Dumbledore about it. I think if she's run amuck or something, he ought to know." Reluctantly Alicia nodded, and Andrew put an arm around her as he led her back towards the room.

"I still don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight," she admitted.

"I know, but we've got to try," Andrew said sympathetically.

And try, Alicia did. But it wasn't just the fear of Ciardoth plaguing her mind once she finally got snuggled in her bed, distractedly watching her familiar's aquarium as Marion played in the water. Normally, his swishing around was rather comforting; but that night it was nothing short of annoying.

It was well past curfew, but Alicia finally gave up trying to sleep, knowing there was really only one thing that soothed her when she got this way. Sliding on her robe, she grabbed a wooden suitcase from under the bed and put on her slippers. She stepped into the painting of Humble Georgette, one of the old caretakers of the school, and in a quick jump went over to another painting…of a class of students painting. Her mother's image blinked in surprise to see her but Alicia ignored it, hopping out into the empty art studio and opening the closet. Sighing at the fact there was no stretched canvas ready, Alicia worked to free a large roll of the cloth from where it was stuck behind a pile of other supplies in the corner. Finally she tugged it free, but in the process loosened several other items that went crashing to the floor.

"Who….who's there?" said a quivering but unmistakable voice. Excitedly, Alicia came barreling out of the closet with such speed that Francis Pyther nearly cast on her, barely lifting his wand up in time for the stunning spell to blast out and ricochet harmlessly off the ceiling.

"Stop, stop, it's just me!" Alicia laughed. "What are you doing here? I thought you wrote me you were getting an apartment!"

"Yes, well, the owners weren't happy when they saw the list of changes I wanted to make the place safely habitable for a vampire. To be perfectly honest, the place scared the death out of me," Pyther said.

"I'm sure that was hard," Alicia teased him.

"Wait, wait, what are you doing up? It's well past curfew unless you have an Astrology class, you know, and your art lesson isn't until Friday," Pyther said.

"Oh, everything's just been…well, awful lately, really," Alicia admitted. "But tell me more about what happened with your new apartment."

"Yes, yes, but first I want to know what's bothering you so much you're willing to face a stiff loss of house points for being caught out after hours," he insisted.

"Fine! To be perfectly honest, I really needed someone to talk to anyhow. I tried to find Caprica, but she was gone."

"Oh yes, I know about that. She's been holed up in Dumbledore's Study with the other Headmaster paintings lately."

"What for?" Alicia asked curiously.

"Oh, ah, some sort of school related thing. Anyhow, I suppose you came here for a second outlet, didn't you? Here, let me fetch some nails and things and we'll stretch some canvas while we talk," Pyther suggested, glancing up at the class painting and fixing his eyes on Corey. "I don't suppose you'd keep a lookout for us? I really don't want to get the young lady here in trouble for being here."

"I'll be in trouble anyhow if either of my parents happen to look down at their watches," Alicia admitted as she raided the closet for canvas frames.

"Oh," Pyther said with a frown, his face betraying his own concerns.

"But why don't you have him watch in case you need to slip down the corridor so my father doesn't kill you," Alicia suggested.

"Well, that would be a royally cowardly thing of me to do, wouldn't it?" Pyther said uncomfortably, a bit guilty that it had even crossed his mind. "No, I'm hardly going to let a student get in trouble when I offered to lend an ear on my own accord. But perhaps the sooner you tell me what's on your mind the better," he said, then immediately regretted it. "But take your time."

"It probably will take some time to explain it all," Alicia admitted, talking as they worked. But she was grateful for Mr. Pyther's presence. In fact, much more than he actually knew.

Severus scowled at his watch for such a long time that Jennifer tiredly looked away from her paperwork to study his face.

"They're all awake, aren't they?" Jennifer sighed.

"Not only awake, but sneaking about after hours," Severus growled. "Andrew is in the kitchen. Alexandria is in the Owlery, of all things. Alicia is in the art room. Aurelius is the only one who's supposed to be out, and he seems to be in his house common room."

"Are you going to go after them?" Jennifer asked thoughtfully. Severus gazed at the watch, pondering a moment before snapping it shut.

"No," he said at last, sitting down on his stool and gazing at the music on the stand. "No, but if it weren't for the fact I haven't had the first day of classes for any of them yet, I swear I'd pull a test."

"Well, they did all have homework for over the summer," Jennifer reminded him. "You could always bring that up for material." Severus mused that, then nodded.

"Thank you, so they did," he agreed, but then squinted. "But since when have you ever been an advocate for my teaching style?"

"Severus, your teaching style has changed dramatically since you stepped down from Slytherin last year," Jennifer said. "And to be perfectly honest, the change has done you and your style a lot of good. I happened to have first year Gryffindors today too, you know, and even after lunch they were still talking about your class. You must have really hit home with them." Severus squinted at her.

"Perhaps I was too easy on them," he brooded.

"Oh, Severus, honestly! I'm sure you were just as firm and as serious as you needed to be. Now, stop overanalyzing everything I say. I was merely trying to give you a complement, not get into a professional discussion, and really, I think we have enough on our plates without getting on each other's nerves."

"Well…I suppose that would depend on how you mean that," Severus said casually, earning a dirty look from his wife.

"I was speaking professionally, Professor," Jennifer reminded him in a low voice.

"Yes, but you don't call me Professor professionally," Severus pointed out, matching her tone. "Although personally, I for one have had enough professionalism of any sort for one day, haven't you? After all, it is getting late," he said, glancing at his watch again. "Even the children are starting to retreat to their rooms." But Jennifer's face clouded in a way that Severus decidedly didn't like.

"I don't know, Severus. I was thinking perhaps it might be safer if I took a Sleeping Potion until I got more skilled with these blocks…"

"Oh, no you don't," he said, frowning sternly at her. "We are not putting our lives on hold because of this. After last year, aren't you tired of being intimidated?"

"More than tired," Jennifer agreed.

"Then stop allowing it," he said firmly. "We have a game plan, remember? Imagine your wand in your hand if you're caught in a dream without it, and then call me."

"And how can we know that next time this happens you'll be able to hear me?" Jennifer asked softly.

"I'll hear you," Severus murmured back. "Haven't I always come after you when you needed me? Even if you didn't want me to?" Jennifer smiled and hugged him tightly.

"I know you have, Severus. In fact, I think I trust you more now than I did when I first met you," she said with a wry smile. "But this time with reason and not just undeniable attraction."

"Well, it's about time," Severus said dryly. "It only took you nearly twenty years of marriage."

"And yet I know I haven't done anything in that time to come even close to earning yours," Jennifer said, angry at herself. "Especially after last year." But Severus merely studied his wife with surprise, gazing at her long and hard without saying anything.

"You are closer than you think, Jennifer, if you truly do trust me. For all you ever needed to do to earn mine was to allow me to earn yours," Severus said. Jennifer gazed at him, studying his face intensely as he got up from the couch and drew her with him, her worries immediately fading as she followed him into their room.

Severus' classes were less than receptive about the idea of having a test on the very first day back. And no student was any less enthusiastic about the idea than the four sleepy Snapes were.

"I hope everyone rested well last night, for I have a rather in-depth test for you today on the material you were to have studied over the holiday. Take care to read it carefully. Good luck," he added in such a dry tone and with such a poignant look at Alex that she was quite sure he somehow knew she hadn't stayed in her room last night.

If she had any doubts of it whatsoever, it ended when she caught the sour looks of Alicia and Andrew when she came in for dinner that night. Halbert also had a glum look on his face; Andrew had hardly gone to the kitchens alone. Worse, Professor Snape had made sure to assign a considerable amount of homework due the next day, and despite the fact it was merely review of things that any of them should easily know, Andrew had trouble keeping his eyes open even long enough to finish his second helpings.

"Oh, come on, it wasn't all that bad," Phil said. "They all were right in the homework, really. My guess is he put in the tricky wording to make sure we didn't copy it."

"I do not think that is exactly why he did it," Halbert said, looking at Andrew knowingly.

"It's called cruel and unusual punishment," Andrew said, uncharacteristically grumpy.

"Oh, come on, he's not as bad as you all make him out to be," Joanie said with a frown. "True, he is strict, but Defense is a very serious subject. I don't have a problem with the way he teaches. I feel silly now letting my father scare the wits out of me about his class."

"I know, I got the same thing from my father, and he usually never teases like that," Jamie said with a grin. "But he did say to listen because Snape knows what he's doing. I do agree with him there."

"Maybe everyone just takes what he says too personally," Joanie said. "I mean, it's obvious he cares what happens to us." Joanie blinked when she noticed that most of the older students had gone silent and were staring at her. "What?"

"Give it a few days," Ted said at last, looking at Shelly. "Maybe whatever potion they're under will wear off and they'll come back to reality."

"You know, they are right, really," Zoë said, more jaws dropping as their stares turned towards her. "It's true Uncle Severus can be an ass sometimes, but he really isn't as bad as everyone says he is…especially since he's left Slytherin House. He's more relaxed than he used to be. And if he does do something in class because of something you did, you usually deserve it."

Andrew glanced at her with irritation, but didn't say anything, trying to get enough juice in him to keep him awake for the next class, which happened to be Transfiguration.

Fortunately, Transfiguration was one of his two best classes, and Andrew's curiosity about the new Professor was sure to help him keep his attention from waning; not to mention just the presence of Professor Tonk's vividly colored hair.

"Come in, come in, good to see you!" she said cheerfully as they took their seats. "My name is Professor Tonks, and I'm a Metamorphmagus. I suppose most of you should know what that is by now, being fifth years. Yes, Mr. Hagrid?"

"Can you do some impersonations?" he asked, many of the other students agreeing enthusiastically.

"Do I look like a comedian? Wait…pink hair…never mind," she said with such a good humored expression that they all grinned at her. "Maybe later, maybe later! But first, I would like to take a moment to congratulate a student in here who I hear registered as an Animagus over the summer. Congratulations, Andrew," she said clapping. Andrew felt his ears grow red as the class clapped and several people commented in surprise. He hadn't planned on going public with it, whether he had to publicly register or not. "Care to show us your animal?"

"Um…no, no, not really," Andrew said, the class immediately protesting out of curiosity, his face soon matching his ears.

"I'll make you a deal. You do your circus bit and I promise I'll do mine," she coaxed him. Halbert nudged him with a grin and Andrew sighed resignedly.

"All right," he said, and got up as there was a smattering of encouraging applause from his fellow Gryffindors while some of the Slytherin, especially Meyers, was rolling their eyes and shaking their heads. Attempting to ignore it, Andrew focused on what he was doing and took a few steps up the aisle as he willed himself to change as he had done only a handful of times before. As he shrank, all the students stood to peer at him as an ash colored flying squirrel took his place.

Several of the boys snickered, but it was immediately drowned out as nearly all the girls suddenly broke out in a loud "Awwww!" with a "So cute!" in the mix before they broke out in an enthusiastic applause.

"Well done, well done!" Tonks laughed and clapped herself as the squirrel jumped up in his chair. A moment later Andrew took its place, looking quite sheepish at all the grins the girls were still giving him and the glowers coming at him from Garret Meyers and his friends. "Now, before anyone gets any ideas, don't try to do anything like this on your own unless you want a quick trip to Mungo's if you turn into half of something you can't turn out of. If you're still serious about trying when you turn eighteen, talk to Madame Brittle or one of the other Animagi on staff."

"Why eighteen? How come we can't try now?" Halbert asked, a bit disappointed.

"Well, it's actually an ability you're not supposed to attempt until you're fully trained, but sometimes these changes happen to people in life-threatening circumstances, which is why you occasionally get a younger applicant," she explained.

"You were in a life-threatening situation and you chose a squirrel?" Garret said, looking at him like he was an idiot.

"It actually worked out quite well, thank you. I'm here, aren't I?" Andrew said evenly back.

"All right, all right, settle down. One more demonstration and then we'll work on reviews," Tonks said, smiling with Andrew. "Any special requests?"

"Can you do my new grandmother?" Andrew said with a grin.

"You had to say that. She's a hard enough act to follow as it is, you know," Tonks said dryly. "Oh, all right! I happened to have occasion to ah…well, practice some of Mrs. Craw's features before…but don't expect me to get her accent right," she warned as she bent over and shook her hair. And even though her figure didn't change from her thinner, slightly athletic build, but the face was unmistakable, from the dainty nose to the fair skin and hair. Everyone, especially the boys, applauded at that one. "Now! I hear your first term concentrated on complex liquids like glass last year, so let's start with that…er, I'll have you go ahead and get your own supplies, though, if you don't mind…the crystal vases along the wall," she said, taking a very healthy step backward. Of course, in the process she bumped into her owl's stand which toppled into the bookshelf which promptly collapsed behind her. Without even looking back at the stack of old times behind her, she forced a smile back on her face. "Right! Well, come on and get them," she said, not saying a word when they all gave her wide berth as they took their projects back to their desks.

By dinner Andrew had claimed the spotlight as quite a number of students - mostly the girls - tried very hard to coax him into agreeing to show them his animal form again. But despite his reluctance to do so, especially in front of so many students, Andrew discovered that he rather liked the way girls acted when there was something in particular they wanted. Part of him wanted to hold out just to hear the flirtatious tone in their voices when they tried to sweet talk him into it. None of the other boys seemed impressed with their behavior. In fact, even Halbert seemed a bit annoyed by the end of the meal, grumpily shoveling food in his plate as he noticed at the Hufflepuff table a group of girls from their year huddled together. Every now and again one of the girls, including Ginger Davidson, would throw Andrew a grin.

"I am sorry, but I really do have to meet with my parents after dinner," Andrew said at last.

"I thought Snape was going to that board of governor's meeting tonight," Zoë said, eating her dinner quite indifferent about the entire thing.

"He is, but they wanted to see us first," Andrew said carefully. "This thing with Ciardoth being able to get into dreams have got them on edge."

"You haven't had that happen to you, though, have you?" Dana asked worriedly.

"No, but, well, being a Snape, we can't be too careful."

"We all ought to be careful," Jamie Potter put in from down the table. "There's no guarantee she won't try to attack someone else next."

"I'm not worried. The dreams I have would scare off anyone," Phil smirked.

"It's hardly a joking matter," Joanie frowned at him.

"You know, the trouble with you two is you both take everything too seriously. Loosen up! Nobody's going to hurt us at Hogwarts," Phil said.

"We're talking about a creature who can go anywhere, Phil," Jamie said. "And it's hard to loosen up when something like that is roaming who knows where just waiting to destroy us all."

"Don't worry. If she shows up, Andrew can save us all by turning into a bushy tailed rodent," Phil said, and an involuntary chuckle broke out around him, making Andrew's ears turn red again.

"I think I'd better get to Father's office. See you back at the common room," Andrew said, getting up.

"Phil, why do you have to be so rude?" Selda Muir said with a sigh, shaking her head. "You're just jealous because you can't turn into anything!"

"You know, I can turn into anything you want me to turn into, Selda," Zack volunteered in a low voice, "really. I'll show you after dinner if you like. Care for a lap dog?" Selda turned and looked at him darkly.

"When your maturity level matches the size of your fat head, perhaps we'll talk," she said icily.

"Good, maybe that'll give you time to grow a couple of points of interest for yourself," Zack said.

"Brothers," Zoë said with exasperation when Selda stormed away from the table as Zack unconcernedly started on his pudding. But Zoë's eye happened to catch sight of Alex and Mandria sitting alone at one end of the Ravenclaw table looking unusually glum. A moment later, Aurelius came over to them and he walked Alex out. "Is it just me, or is something going on with my cousins they didn't tell us about?"

"So what else is new?" Zack said unconcernedly. "Wanna come visit Peeves with me?"

"Yeah, I guess," Zoë said, although she had the strange feeling all the sudden about doing something so trivial as trying to track down a troublesome poltergeist. Something was weighing on them, and Zoë couldn't help but wonder if it was really Ciardoth that they were worried about right now.


	11. A Different Set of Rules

_A/N Author disclaimer: This chapter has characters within it asking a question hot in the news right now; security vs. personal liberties. I wrote this chapter a couple weeks ago, prior to this whole Patriot Act thing :P The views expressed by the characters on this subject are just that; the views of the characters themselves based on their experiences (and the experiences they've had though the course of the series) and have no bearing on my own views (whatever they are g>) Oh yeah, the two 'political' views in the board are generic titles I'm using for my made up wizardly type board and aren't supposed to really refer to anything else either. :)_

_ With that being said, hope you like this chapter...it was actually difficult to write since it is an area of this 'world' I haven't really expounded on before. Enjoy, and please review! JC Writer_

Chapter Eleven

A Different Set of Rules

As a bystander, Severus Snape had seen a great many changes take place in the board of governors since his first year of teaching…when his own appointment was questioned. Back then the majority of the board were reformists; educators and alumni who were in favor of change, although few of them agreed on what changes would actually help the school and ranged from the moderate to the radical…one of which, Severus recalled, being none other than Lucius Malfoy.

But after Voldemort's final death and members left, retired, or were otherwise encouraged to move on, there had been a shift towards traditionalists; those who were opposed to any sort of change that might upset the natural balance of the school, finally stable after all the horrible things it went through back in those dark days. There were eight traditionalists in the twelve governors now. Like the reformists, they strongly supported Albus Dumbledore. They did not, however, particularly care for Severus Snape in any way, shape, or form. Some were former students. Others were old enough to remember the mistakes of his youth, and even after all these years were wary of him despite the Headmaster's confidence.

The Chairman, Sebastian Shea, was a somewhat conservative reformist as was his wife Caitlin; both administrative educators in a small exclusive school known as West of Whitehall. A great many Slytherin and Ravenclaw students had come to Hogwarts from there, and Sebastian, also on the larger education board which regulated all magic schools within the country, had been a very firm supporter on the changes to OWLS and NEWTS. He at least had a lot of good reasons to be on Snape's side, notwithstanding their personal acquaintanceship in the Order of Merlin as well as fellow parents to daughters graduating that year. Caitlin he hadn't known so well. She had always taken a back spotlight to her husband, although from personal experience Severus knew that behind the scenes her opinions were certainly heard frequently by the chairman.

The other two reformists, both alumni, were more begrudging in their support of him, despite the fact that they too had been pleased with the testing changes. One of them, Bruce Wallace, had also shown quite a bit interest in Severus' research since he developed group charms. Of course, Severus remembered with a chagrin, the Gryffindor had also nearly flunked Potions; Severus had always thought him as a bit of a wash-up.

Outside the small public meeting room sat a very sleepy-looking Oracle reporter, bored out of his mind. His interest immediately perked up when he saw Severus approaching but Severus ignored him, knocking quietly on the door and immediately getting shown in while the reporter tried to peer in the door as it shut smartly behind him.

"Professor Snape," Sebastian said with a nod and a slight smile as Severus came in, while many of the others looked at him warily. "I assume this visit is regarding the allegations against you?"

"Not really. As a matter of fact, I have other pressing business that overshadows such petty arguments," he said in such a tone that Sebastian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at him. "I am worried about the safety of the students concerning Ciardoth's recent activities."

"As are we all," Sebastian nodded. "But as I understand it, you have always been given a fair amount of carte blanche on the security issue, considering that no one except the Headmaster with the exception of perhaps yourself and the Deputy truly know all of the security measures Hogwarts has in place to protect itself."

"Yes, however, Ciardoth has a way of finding holes," Severus said dryly. "She has an ability which allows herself to enter our dreams and do physical damage to whomever it is she is attacking. In fact, she did so the night before last to Professor Craw." Everyone except Sebastian and Caitlin reacted. Apparently they had already been informed of it, for Sebastian merely nodded. "Craw and I have, of course, begun to take measures to protect ourselves as well as our children. However, it does nothing to protect the student body. I would like permission to teach some basic mental skills as a part of the Defense course."

The protest that went up was immediate, especially from the traditionalists that seemed quite outraged that he would even suggest it, Severus sighed impatiently as Sebastian finally brought the room to order.

"Severus, I understand your concern, but you know that goes well beyond the boundaries of what's acceptable. I'm sure you are aware of what happened the last time a Defense teacher tried something like that, and without the board's knowledge, might I add?"

"Despite the fact it happened before either of us were born, yes. The teacher had a run-in with a particularly strong willed student named Tom Riddle. Soon after he had begun to explore the outer perimeters of his class's thoughts was found in holed up in his office completely out of his mind with fear, and lived out the remainder of his life in a catatonic state," Severus said evenly. "I'm well aware of the risks…"

"And yet you admit that you may be putting the students at risk as well," Sebastian said seriously.

"Less risk than if we would be to allow Ciardoth to pick and choose among them according to their weaknesses and which one would suit her purposes, only to dispose of them once she's done with them," Severus said.

"I'm sorry, Severus, it's simply out of the question," Sebastian said firmly, the rest of the board quickly agreeing.

"Perhaps one class with permission slips from parents, so I can at least reach some of them?" Severus suggested. Sebastian paused as if considering it, but immediately the traditionalists protested his hesitation. "At least allow me to require my classes to keep dream journals to make certain nothing is going on."

"That would be a direct invasion of privacy, Severus. The board would never require a student to have to hand over a diary of their inner thoughts to anyone," Sebastian said.

"Then you are leaving them open to a direct attack, and I, as head of security, will not be able to do a thing about it," Severus said.

"Severus, I do understand your concerns and I am glad you made us aware of it. But as you already said, there really isn't anything you can do to stop it. In any case, catching such dark creatures are not the school's concern; education is our concern. And I'm sure that if Doctor Sagittari and Madame Pomfrey are actively aware that students may be faced with this, which I'm sure they are, they'll be able to catch it."

"True enough, but by that time someone will already be a victim," Severus said. "And although she has not yet killed anyone using this method, I am quite certain she could do so if she wanted…"

"We live in an open society, Severus…the price we pay for having basic rights and the ability to enjoy life rather than to live encased in armor with a number tattooed on our heads. Yes, well, a harsh example, really, but the point is that if a protective manner infringes on those rights, most people are going to tell you that it's not worth it. Severus, you wouldn't be any more comfortable with the idea of a teacher trying to get in your children's heads and you damn well know it," Sebastian said, and Severus immediately grew somber. "Speaking of which, perhaps it's better we moved on to that other topic that needs discussed.

"Now, I have here, Severus, quite a number of rather impressive statements on your behalf concerning this coaching issue….many of them from the staff, including some particulars of Aurelius' marks in general, as well as four student letters, two signed and two anonymous, all stating that they did not believe that you directly coached Aurelius in any way. Of course, we've been also been receiving quite a number of letters from concerned parents as well; some asking for particulars, and some who were quick to point out several other matters of bias which they claim that Headmaster Dumbledore, well, 'hushed up'," he said wryly.

"I hardly have any say in what the Headmaster decides to bring up with you and what he doesn't," Severus said calmly. "And as for the coaching matter, I would like to state for the record that not only did I not coach him, but I had no time to coach him with the mayhem going through my life at that point in time. Dumbledore and my wife can both attest to that."

"Yes, Dumbledore did mention something to that affect in his letter, although he was quite vague about exactly what it was keeping you busy at that time period."

"I was concerned over my wife's behavior," Severus said evenly. "It was not long before the Lucius Malfoy incident."

"Some of the members of the board are concerned that Aurelius may have had an advantage, at least in Defense, since he was advanced a year," Bruce put in. Sebastian frowned at him.

"In which case the board should have brought it up when it occurred. As it is, I would think the fact that the Headmaster, Deputy Headmaster and I thought him capable of being advanced early might key the board in to the fact he has more than exceeded his class expectations and obligations."

"It's a valid point," Sebastian agreed, leaning back. "In fact, what the whole inquiry boils down to is your word and that of Dumbledore's and Aurelius', who also both deny it."

"To be blunt, sir, as a parent I am quite appalled that my son was involved in this in any way," Severus said, having trouble controlling the strain in his voice now. "Considering the fact that if it had been anyone else's child, it would not have been questioned at all. I don't care how much scrutiny you place on me or any of the other staff, but the fact that you felt you had to question a student about his abilities above the word of Headmaster Dumbledore that nothing took place disturbs me."

"We act upon the concerns of the parents, Severus," Sebastian said. "Had we not, I'm sure you realize that the media would come down on you harder than they are now…"

"Pardon, sir, but I don't give a damn what the media wants to say about me. God knows they've been doing it for thirty years already. It is the fact that Aurelius was dragged into this that I mind."

"To be perfectly honest, I feel exactly the same way myself," Sebastian said, looking around at the board, many of whom were nodding their heads gently. "You're right in that this came up because he was your son. It's not been the first time someone has complained to us about your children getting 'favoritism' in the school either, although Dumbledore has been quick to deny it. But what we fear most is that not only will this not be the last time this issue comes up, but that next time it will be something that we absolutely cannot ignore. So, we believe the best course of action is to avoid the situation completely. It would be best for both you and your wife professionally, and probably much better for your children to not have that constant pressure on them."

"Forgive me Chairman, but just what are you casting at?" Severus asked with a frown.

"That the board is planning on voting on whether or not to recommend that your four children be moved to another school…of your choice, of course…for the remainder of their school years, so as not to leave any concerns about conflicts of interest," Sebastian said. Severus stared at him in disbelief for a long time before a dark, silent anger began boiling under his skin.

"My children are not leaving Hogwarts," he said at last in a voice so firm that no one dared question it. "If you truly feel the only way to solve yourselves a bit of discomfort at the idea of having them in our classrooms is to pass this recommendation, go right ahead. But don't be surprised when you get an Owl tendering mine and my wife's resignation a minute after the fact."

"You would end a long standing career over this, Severus?" Sebastian said, his question making Severus pause after he had already turned for the door.

"I would not sacrifice any student to save my job, let alone my own children. And I assure you that even if she's not here to say it, my wife feels the same. Oh, and, although I won't speak for them, may I remind you that Deputy Headmaster Weasley has a daughter in Hogwarts this year, not to mention my sister's two children? But go ahead and open this can of worms if you like! I only hope someone's left to teach after you're done with it!" Severus snapped angrily, storming out.

How dare they even suggest it, he fumed as he Apparated to the station, preferring to take the long way around the lake to try and give him some time to cool off. But he soon found that the more time he thought about it, the angrier he got, and his knuckles were still white from his clenched fists by the time he got to the gate.

Jennifer looked up from her desk as he came into her office and watched as he immediately went over to her lab, cranking up the burners as he began to measure out ingredients.

"Was it as bad as all of that? What did they say?" Jennifer asked in alarm, knowing he was boiling up a fresh batch of Subtle Slumber.

"I have never met such a sour bunch of bureaucrats in my entire life," Severus growled, Jennifer quickly deciding to stay well away from him. "They refused to listen to any dangers the students might be in over Ciardoth, concerning themselves with trying to make our lives miserable instead! In fact, they are in the process of voting on whether or not to move our children out of this school since we are teaching here."

"What? I'd quit first!" Jennifer scowled.

"Precisely what I told them," Severus snarled.

"If they had any concerns about it, why didn't they bring it up before?" Jennifer asked. Severus sighed and stared at the bubbling liquids.

"Actually…perhaps they have. Shea mentioned that Dumbledore had answered questions about it on other occasions, only now it's come to a head for some reason," he paused again, suddenly looking exhausted despite the fact his brew wasn't even halfway done yet. "I wonder if I overreacted, storming out of there when they mentioned it," he mused.

"What? I think not! They have no right to tell us what school our children attend," Jennifer said firmly. "Besides, if the worst does happen and we do have to leave, perhaps we can come back in a few years once they're out again." Severus glanced thoughtfully up at the picture of himself, but his portrait was busy reading one of his Sherlock Holmes novels unconcernedly.

Just then there was a knock, and Severus went over to the door, knowing very well who was behind it. He opened it to see Albus Dumbledore gazing at him over the rim of his glasses.

"Don't tell me. You heard," Severus said dryly, turning back around and over to his potion.

"That and more," Albus said with a smile as he stepped in, nodding to Jennifer. "Actually, I need to talk to you about something when you're done, Severus, but there is something I think you both ought to hear first. I just got a flame from Chairman Shea and the board has voted down a proposal to recommend moving the children to another school."

Pure relief was immediately evident on Jennifer's face, while Severus stared at him quite bewildered.

"Thank goodness, I was sure we had another fight on our hands," Jennifer admitted, smiling curiously at her husband who still had his gaze fixed on Albus.

"Perhaps something made them realize that right now they have more important things to worry about then some trivial false accusations," Albus said. "I had a feeling they would come around eventually, although I myself am amazed at how quickly it came about," he added, giving Severus such an enigmatic smile that she was quite positive he was intentionally hiding what he was thinking from her.

"Well," said Jennifer. "I think I'll head on up to the sitting room to finish setting up these handouts. Bring me up a mug of that?"

"Certainly," Severus said with a nod, walking her to the door and closing it behind her.

"Subtle Slumber _again_?" Albus said, accenting 'again' in such a way that Severus gave him a dirty look. "I thought you were both cutting down."

"I hardly think it's unwarranted after the stress we've been under," Severus snapped. "It's not every day one gets fed to the wolves."

"The governor's board are our allies, Severus, not our enemies," Albus reminded him, sitting down. "At least, that's what I always tell myself. You certainly did make a mess out of the evening though, didn't you?"

"You were the one who told me to handle it," Severus bristled.

"No, I sent you there merely to handle that business about your being coached, which you did so splendidly, might I add. But what in heaven's name possessed you to approach the board on Occlumency? You knew that wouldn't go well," he chided him.

"I had to at least speak them about the danger the students are in," Severus said irritably.

"Severus, I already told Sebastian of the entire situation. You really should have spoken to me before approaching anything that delicate to the board. And I _really_ wish you hadn't mentioned that business with the journals! Now I'm going to need some unbelievably clever excuse to do so anyway, and that won't be easy. And I'm going to need your help, especially since this is your fault we're in this predicament in the first place. Yes, there can be little doubt. This is really going to complicate things," Albus sighed. Severus stared at him.

"What do you mean you need an excuse to do so anyway?" Severus said impatiently when it was obvious that Albus was more interested in polishing his spectacles than continuing.

"Severus, what's the first rule when dealing with a problem with a student?" Albus asked as he replaced his glasses, but Severus merely frowned at him. "That parents don't need to know anything. Well, the same can be said with an administrative problem. The board doesn't need to know everything…and what they do need to know is best found out…well, after whatever the problem is has been fixed successfully and has been fixed successfully…for at least several months," he added in a low voice. "Now, would you care to hear a possible solution on how we get out of this predicament?"


	12. Building Cases

_A/N () If you mean grammar wise, yeah, got to work on that…usually what I do is let my reader read it, then go over it one more time before I put up the chapter, then when I'm finished with the book, I revise the whole thing, but first I try to get chapters up as soon as possible so you all can have them. If you mean too much content….without giving away too much of the story and series in general…there's a reason that the information is there. You may not get why it's in there now…but you'll understand why it has to be there later in the book. No filling, honest. Oh, and P.S. Yes, it'll be done before the next Rowling book. JCWriter._

Chapter Twelve

Building Cases

Alicia heard her name being whispered and stirred restlessly in her sleep. Fearing it was a dream she suddenly woke up in a panic, feeling her heart pumping hard from the jolt as she looked around the quiet dorm room.

"All right there, girl?" a low voice spoke, but this time she recognized it as she leaned out to see under the canopy at the wall above the study table towards Humble's portrait.

"Caprica?" Alicia said, the got up. "Well, it's about time! What have you…"

"Ssh, not so loud, you'll wake your dorm mates! Come talk to me in the common room. There's no one there," Caprica said, disappearing out of the frame. Immediately, Alicia pulled on her slippers and robe and tiptoed out of the room, hurrying down the steps to find her sitting in the frame of a den of badger cubs. "Ah, to be back in this tower! It's been years since I was hung in here. They were a bit afraid I'd cause mischief," she chuckled with a wink.

"Well, I want to know why you were moved from the Trophy Room. Professor O'Laren said you were put back in the Study and that you were busy," Alicia said in an accusing tone.

"Oh, yes, very busy! I'm helping the Headmaster with a bit of reorganizing. Headmaster paintings are a part of the general security of the school, you know, so whenever there are changes, the Headmaster likes to keep us informed," Caprica explained. "But that doesn't mean I haven't been keeping an eye on things! I heard what happened with your mother, of course."

"Did you hear the governor's board accused our father of coaching and that they might make us change schools?" Alicia snapped.

"Oh, so you heard about that did you?" Caprica said, Alicia becoming even more annoyed at her amused look. "Well, fortunately for you, my news happens to be a bit more up to date than yours. As it so happens, I hear that your father quite bluntly told them that he and your mother would quit before he'd see the four of you moved from the school because of them. The board really had no choice but to back down." Alicia frowned at her for a long moment before she finally relaxed.

"Well, I'm glad it worked then, even if it was an empty threat," Alicia said. Caprica raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you so sure it was an empty threat?" Caprica asked.

"Oh, come on, Professor, let's be realistic here. This school means everything to my parents. It always has. Father would never give this job up in a million years. He'll be here until he's so old he withers away so his ghost can haunt it…and will still be attempting to dock points off students for mischief in the hallways," Alicia said. Caprica couldn't help but laugh at the image but quickly contained it, excusing herself.

"I respect your cynicism on the matter, Alicia, after all it evidently runs in the family," she said with amusement. "But what you don't understand is that their love for this school is exactly why they're willing to give it up. Being a teacher here is a wonderful honor to those who truly know what this school truly stands for, but being a student here is something they would never take away. Your mother would have done nearly anything to have gotten her parents send her here…and your father…well, he didn't truly learn to appreciate what it meant to be a Hogwarts student until it was too late. In a way, the four of you are their second chance at dreams they themselves could never fulfill. I suppose you've always seen yourself as being additions to their passion for this school, but in reality, you have all been a part of it. You always have," Caprica smiled, then noted the dubious look on Alicia's face. "Yes, well, maybe you'll understand when you're older. The important thing is that no one is going anywhere, so there's no reason for you to worry about it."

"Sure, until the next time one of us aces a test or does something else they can blame them for," Alicia said.

"Now, that's for the Headmaster to deal with," Caprica said firmly.

"Of course, everyone has something to deal with. The Headmaster will deal with people trying to break up the family. The Aurors and the Ministry will deal with Ciardoth. Father will deal with security. And here we are stuck in the middle and knowing what's going on but we're expected to merely sit and do our homework and pretend that none of this is happening!" Alicia ranted.

"Well, if that's your way of asking for something to keep yourself busy, I do have a small project I need taken care of, discreetly of course," Caprica mused.

"I don't need kept busy. That's what paints are for," Alicia said. Caprica shrugged and smiled.

"All right," Caprica said. "I certainly wouldn't want to keep you from painting in any case." There was a pause then as she waited to hear what else Alicia had wanted to talk to her about. The problem was, Alicia had completely forgotten.

"What sort of project?" Alicia said at last.

After Potions on Friday Alicia had Divination, which meant quite a run for Phoebe and herself to get up there in time. It was a good thing that Morfinn stayed for Dabbler's, Alicia thought as they took the stairs by twos, for even though she was in excellent shape her side was aching by the time they got to the landing. They had stopped to take a breath outside the classroom when Dumbledore and Snape stepped in behind them, talking quite casually.

"Good morning, girls. You'd better hurry in. The bell is going to ring at any moment, you know," Dumbledore said calmly. Glancing at each other the two of them walked in to take find an empty table.

"How did they do that? I don't remember passing them on the stairs," Phoebe asked. Alicia, who was thinking the same thing, shrugged at her. She knew how she would have done it…come to think of it, maybe she should have, she thought to herself as she got out her book, wondering if Phoebe would freak out if she offered to take her that route.

Alicia grinned at that. The two girls had often studied together, but they had never become close…Phoebe didn't really seem to want to get close to anyone, although Alicia wasn't quite sure why. But she had always been polite to Alicia and never outspoken…in short, the exact opposite of her Slytherin brother. Still, Alicia was always glad to partner up with her on projects, for Phoebe was a great team player and always did her fair share of research without procrastination or complaint. Since Divination often teamed up students to read each other's tea leaves, crystal balls, or whatever else they happened to be dealing with, Alicia was quick to ask Phoebe to sit with her.

It wasn't long after they got settled that the ghost of Icarus Ravenclaw floated in with a wan smile on his face, slightly less glum than normal as he looked over his class.

"Welcome back everyone, and welcome to intermediate Divination! I am very happy that so many of you decided to continue your studies of the esoteric arts of prophecy," Icarus said. "Now, although I still plan to cover all of the material in this particular book, you'll find upon the handouts that we'll be going in a slightly different order than the book, so make sure you keep this list handy throughout the term," he said as papers floated down onto their desks. "So! We are going to start then with chapter twenty…Dream Interpretation. It is a very exciting subject that I'm hoping will attract your attention. You see, as I've explained before in your last year, every one of you have some basic instinctual awareness of things outside your normal senses…hunches; an unexplainable sense of danger before an a event, and so on. The only real difference then between the average witch, wizard, or even Muggle and those 'gifted' with the Sight is they can more easily tap into it. But! When one is asleep, the natural barriers we all have become thinner, and that means that everyone at some time in their lives, gifted or not, is likely to have a dream that borders upon an actual vision. Any one in this room can have one of these on any given night. Or, you could have a manifestation caused by stress or eating the wrong sorts of foods too, but we'll get into that later," he said with amusement.

"Each of you," he continued, "will be given a dream journal to put by your bedside to jot down possible visions and so forth…now, ghost though I am, I am a bit of a realist. There are going to be many nights you will have absolutely nothing to report…and there may even be nights where you have one of those embarrassing sorts of dreams you certainly won't want to write anything about, even if your teacher does have to be a ghost who understands some of the faults of mortality," he winked, a few of the students grinning at each other. "No, and because of that, I know there will be many blanks, but do not worry about it. On those nights, simply put, 'nothing interesting to report' or 'personal' when it applies and write down what you will. I would, however, encourage you to write down any nightmares that you have…even if it's something you have no intention of showing the class…for your own benefit. Sometimes writing out fears is a good way to start working out why one feels them. Again, I promise that nothing you feel uncomfortable with will be used in front of your classmates in any way. Now, with that all being said, I'd like for you to set a goal of having ten workable dreams by the holidays, although I'll be checking every week to see how you are doing. I may be very tempted to give bonus points to students who manage to surpass that. Oh, and don't worry, any examples I may use in class will be anonymous as to who had them as well. I like my bases covered, as you can see. Another part of your homework by the holidays will be especially fun, I think, for everyone. Once you have learned the basics, I am going to ask you to write a short paper interpreting dreams of others. You will be choosing five individuals…classmates, friends, whatever, as long as they're not in the classroom, write down the dream, and your interpretation."

"Can we do staff as well?" Juliet asked curiously.

"Well, if you think you could talk them into it, I don't see why not," Icarus said. "Um, let's see, what else? Oh, we'll be learning more mediations this year to help you relax and allow yourselves to be more open to portents of the future…rather like we studied last year with the incense before drawing tarots and the crystal ball and so on. I think you'll find they'll be very helpful right before you go to bed as well so you can remember your dreams." Alicia suddenly stared at him a moment and then looked over her shoulder at the door almost accusingly, her eyes fixed a moment on the two shadows there. "So, as you can see, we have a lot to do this first half of the year. Phoebe, why don't you start out by reading the chapter intro while I finish writing some things on the board?" Alicia turned back around, shaking her head slightly as she reluctantly turned to her book.

"Well, there's the bulk of it for you, Severus," Dumbledore said with a smile from where they stood outside the door. "I'll speak to Hermione about the rest."

"Aren't you a bit concerned the governors may find out about this?" Severus said in a low voice.

"I wasn't until you said something," Albus said, and Severus grimaced.

"It was hardly my idea to speak to the board in the first place."

"Be that as it may, I believe this alternate plan of ours will work… as long as you can build a case, that is."

"This is the part where I'm supposed to say something about how I'm all for a challenge and some sort of dribble about it being an honor or other nonsense. But to be perfectly honest, I think this is the most repulsive assignment you have ever given me," Severus said irritably.

"If there's one thing no one can fault you for, Severus, it is your complete candor," Albus said, turning towards the stairs with a mischievous look in his eye. "We're going to have to work on that." Severus gave him a dirty look before following him down the stairs.

At lunch, Jennifer hurried to Severus' office to find him with his nose in the Hogwarts policy book again. She glanced at it curiously before closing the door.

"Had a lot of excitement in Dabbler's today. Morfinn sneezed and blew up half the potions in the room. Aurelius was positively furious…I had just lent him some dragon scale mold for an experiment…actually, I should be the one who's furious considering how much that stuff costs. What are you doing? I thought that whole business with the coaching is over."

"I am helping the Headmaster build a case for requiring all students to have at least half a year of Divination sometime in the course of their time here," Severus said, not looking up. Jennifer stared at him.

"You must be joking."

"No, although I understand why you might think so," Severus said.

"But Severus, you hate Divination! How are you going to make a case for it? Many schools don't even teach it anymore," Jennifer said, sitting in front of him and leaning on the desk. Severus handed her a paper and she took it curiously. "What's this?"

"One of Ravenclaw's new syllabi. He and Dumbledore revised it last night," Severus said, and Jennifer looked it over before breaking to a grin.

"Of course! Dream interpretation is one of the main sections on the Divination aptitude tests!" Jennifer said.

"Yes, and they must learn meditation skills as part of the field as well," Severus said. Jennifer gazed at him thoughtfully.

"I don't know, Severus. I can see how we can use the dream interpretation excuse to our advantage, but trying to pass off true mental disciplines for a relaxing exercise is a real stretch. You know what will happen if they find out about it…"

"It'll mean the jobs of everyone involved, including the Headmaster, and possible Ministry charges if anyone believes anyone's rights were violated. Well, we're not going as far as all that; Dumbledore and I have come up with a compromise. I told him about the troubles we were having with you being so open for so long because of your ability, and he was quite intrigued with my alternative. We are going to teach them the same thing I've been teaching you; how to control the content of one's dreams and how to wake up from one voluntarily. It is something they can learn on their own, and although it's not as effective as true mind blocks, perhaps the fact that they are empowered to defend themselves will be enough of a surprise to get her to move on."

"Severus, I'm still not convinced that's going to work. Of course, I haven't remembered any dreams since we began working on that…"

"It will work if you believe it will work," Severus said simply, earning a dirty look from his wife. "What matters is we're doing something." Jennifer smiled understandingly and nodded, turning over the cups.

But just as they were getting settled and Jennifer was able to coax Severus to put aside the books, a frantic knock rapped on the door. Curiously, Severus got up, Jennifer following close behind as he opened it to see Grant DeMille, Deputy Minister of Law Enforcement.

"Minister Thurspire wants to know if you could possibly get away. He told me to tell you it's not something you want in his hands," DeMille said.

"Let me make some quick arrangements," Severus said glancing at Jennifer, who simply nodded, but as they started up for Dumbledore's Study, a look of intense worry crossed Jennifer's face before she turned to check his class schedule.

There could be little doubt what spell had been cast. Severus knew it well, although he had never seen such a big impact site. In fact, he seriously doubted that there had been a crater impact quite as big since Grindelwald was alive.

"As you can see, the entire warehouse was obliterated," Ederick said in a low voice as they walked around the perimeter.

"Casualties?" Severus asked.

"We lost two of our officers, who were guarding it at the time," Ederick said quietly. "Petry and Hamlet…there wasn't really enough evidence to say for sure that the impact was the cause of death…" one of the investigators near them as they passed turned and gave Ederick a dirty look.

"Why were there Ministry guards here? I thought you said this was one of Longbottom's…acquisitions," he said with distaste.

"Didn't Thomas tell you? A very large number of complaints have been lodged against Malfoy's business practices postmortem after the Minister went public with all those old documents," Ederick said. "Everyone Malfoy's duped over the years is signing the list to try and get back a piece of what he took. In fact, there are legal holds now on most of the property with the exception of the estate itself. More than likely once all the filings are done and it goes to the Magistrate, Malfoy Industries is going to be a great deal smaller, if it exists at all."

"And your empire will crumble on the weight of your own malice," Severus suddenly murmured under his breath, a gleam of satisfaction flashing in his dark eyes before forcing himself to concentrate on the matter at hand. "It would seem unlikely then that one of Longbottom's enemies would do something like this considering that I'm certain that the evidence against Malfoy at this point is substantial. Perhaps he or one of his cronies decided something inside was better off destroyed than in other hands…"

"Or thought to be destroyed," Ederick put in. "As I've stated before, we are very lacking in any evidence…there's no proof then that my officers weren't killed before the impact…and there's no proof that something wasn't taken out before it either. But yes, that theory is what my investigators all think is the most likely answer, but there are some questions here bothering me about the event…well, obviously, enough to bother you about them."

"Go on," Severus said.

"First off, is Longbottom capable of cold blooded murder, even second handed?"

"Ederick, I don't think I have to remind you of what happened to his cousin, let alone what Malfoy told my wife that day…"

"He said a loyal servant. He never said it was Amadeus…"

"Who had better reason?"

"Now you're beginning to sound like my investigators."

"Perhaps you had better listen, then."

"Wait, wait, wait…I didn't bring you hear to argue. Severus, I know you may not agree with my reasoning but please just hear me out, that's all I ask," Ederick said, trying to control his temper. "Neville's parents lost any power over anything financial to he and his grandmother as soon as Mungo's declared their case incurable…they were not, in any way, in Amadeus' way. However, let me note that just before they died, they were beginning to make some progress…beginning to recognize some of their caretakers and even to the point of randomly seeming to respond to questions of people in the room. There were than many reasons an ex-Death Eater might want them dead. Furthermore, I asked myself this; why would someone we know is talented with memory spells bother to kill two bystanders who did nothing to him when it would be in his best interest to use them as unknowing pawns who could state for him he had nothing to do with it?" Severus pondered it for a moment.

"Fear of detection, perhaps."

"From who, me?" Ederick said evenly. "Draco? If no one had gotten injured, would there have been this length of an investigation, Comet Strike or not?" Severus grew thoughtful.

"Anything else?"

"Quite a bit. The extent of the damage. How many wizards are there who would even attempt to control that death curse, let alone be able to control something of this size? Could Jennifer?" Ederick asked him. Severus stared at him icily.

"Ederick, if you mean to imply…"

"Very well, could you?" Ederick said with exasperation. Severus paused.

"Perhaps," Severus admitted with a shrug, "but I would choose other means, as would Jennifer."

"Yes, well, most would," Ederick agreed. "Is it possible that Ciardoth might have done it purely with wild magic?"

"If she could half of London, let alone Hogwarts, would probably have been bombarded by now. She would have made Grindelwald's attacks during the war look like a thrown pebble in comparison," Severus said.

"Could she have manipulated someone else to do it?" Ederick said quietly.

"Had she a reason, yes," Severus said.

"Lucius Malfoy had acquired all sorts of artifacts over the years and scattered them about…if there was something in there she wanted, she may have it, and she wouldn't care anything about the lives of anyone who stood in her way," Ederick said in a low voice. "Severus, to be perfectly frank, I'm not getting much support here from my investigators. They've made their minds up on this case. They all see me as nothing more than a bumbling idiot who is simply overanalyzing the situation. But if there is any possibility that Ciardoth may have something to do with this and has gotten off with something dangerous…if we can't completely rule out the possibility she might have been involved…I don't think it'd be very safe for us to write it off so quickly. That is why I have called you here to find out what you think."

"I think," Severus said, glancing at the crater where the warehouse had been before turning to look at Ederick, "that you really are a bumbling idiot who overanalyzes everything. However," he continued when Ederick glared at him. "how possible would it be to get a list of exactly what was inside this place beforehand?"

"I am working on getting a copy," Ederick said.

"Good. Send me one," Severus said, turning, "and keep me informed."

"Does that mean you do think she's involved?" Ederick said before he stepped away.

"Merely that you are correct in not ruling it out," Severus said, then winced. "But don't tell anyone I even remotely agree with you," he added as he walked away, wondering how he was going to explain his getting involved to Jennifer and Dumbledore this time.


	13. Adventures in Research

_A/N Another so soon? No, this isn't a sign I got the book done :) Actually, it's because I'm going to be gone most of next week, and I wanted to get you guys up to chapter 15 (one of my favorites) before I left, it'll be at least a week before I get you the next one...but then they should be coming every other day until I finish. By the way, for those who were wondering, as of this and the last chapter, the last of the twelve death spells (and one that's actually been present the entire series in some form g>) has now been mentioned! Yes, even if only in passing, all twelve are now in here somewhere. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this chapter, which keys you in to what some of the side characters are up to, including the kids. JCWriter._

Chapter Thirteen

Adventures in Research

By the time the four Snapes had finished their forms and mental training on Saturday morning, all of their friends had already found themselves something else to do. But that suited the four of them just as well; Saturdays had for years been their family days, and after their separation of interest over the last couple of years, the four of them jointly decided to renew that old tradition. For in each one's own way, they had in the last couple of years learned that despite the fact that they had become much closer to their mates than their siblings, that not one of their friends truly understood what it was like to be a Snape in a time of crisis…only another Snape could. And with that realization also came the looming fact that time was not on their side…as much as Alex wanted to be in the outside world now to seek her own life, it was not without the constant, tugging reminder of the three she would have to leave behind to do so.

The weather was unseasonably warm, and they had decided to spend their lunch together near the lake. But when Fluke dropped off a copy of the _Daily Prophet_, they quickly decided to head to the library, intrigued by the front page story. The four of them scrambled for books; Alicia being the first one settled with a copy of _Hogwarts, a History. _Alex and Andrew then appeared with _Dark Wizards Vol. 8 _and a Divination Book called _Falling Stars, Falling Skies_, immediately beginning to scour through them. Aurelius then appeared, the book in his hand already open as he reached the table, huddling over it.

"You see, I told you it was a Death Spell," Aurelius sighed at Alex who merely eyed him in response.

"Seems like it'd to be more like an all-purpose destruction curse to me," Andrew said.

"As common as all that," Alex whispered sarcastically to him.

"Apparently, it was first used as an assassination tool," Aurelius explained. "What it does is summons tiny chunks of debris out of the Earth's thermosphere…basically the same thing that falling stars are made of, and directs them to hit a particular target, obliterating everything within a radius dependant upon the size. It had been first used centuries ago to get rid of 'unpopular' Muggle leaders of warring clans, but fell out of popularity because many found the debris hard to control, often falling on less desirable targets. Here it says it was then rediscovered in the late nineteen thirties by a German wizard bent on world domination…yes, well, then was the time, I suppose. Grindelwald, that's the same name that's in the paper right?"

"Right, I have it here," Alex said excitedly. "S. Grindelwald. Dark Wizard who was responsible for countless attacks upon Wizards in Great Britain during World War II. A part of the Nazi movement, Grindelwald had noted that the Blitzkrieg, though devastating to the country, could not get through the magic barricades of the defending wizard forces and redeveloped a spell known as Comet Strike to cause damage to the Allied magic kind. When tables turned against the Germans, Grindelwald disappeared to avoid capture only to reappear in Britain to exact revenge upon those he deemed enemies of the 'true order' until he was finally defeated by Albus Dumbledore in 1945! Just how old is Dumbledore, anyhow?"

"Never mind that," Andrew said quickly. "Is there anything else?"

"Um, yes, there is one side note mentioning that the devastation this wizard caused with the spell is why the mention of 'craters' or turning anyone into a crater is considered…"

"Grounds to burp up soap bubbles for a week?"

The four of them nearly jumped out of their seats when they saw Albus Dumbledore standing beside their table. Alex immediately covered her mouth as the rest of them stared at him wide-eyed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I startle you? I happened to come in for a bit of reading and found my ears tingling. Studying history, I see?" Dumbledore inquired politely.

"Just a bit of self-study, Professor," Alex said quickly, glancing at Aurelius as the other two began to nod in agreement.

"A splendid way to satisfy one's natural curiosity. Even better to do so as a team effort…best way to get things done, really. Helps the perspective if you have differing points of view contributing. I can't wait to read your report. I'm sure it'll prove quite interesting. Well, I shouldn't bother you any longer. Have a good day," Dumbledore said with a smile as he went up to have a word with Librarian Boulderdash.

"We were going to write a report?" Alicia murmured in a low voice.

"Guess we are now, aren't we?" Aurelius said tersely and turned back to his book.

Even by the end of September and into October, the weather was still unseasonably warm. The Quidditch teams were quick to take advantage of it; practicing every weekend and free afternoon up to the first game. When Alicia wasn't there, she was often found in the library. So often, in fact, that her siblings were getting more than a little curious about what she was up to. After a sudden rainstorm one Thursday afternoon unnerved Snape into calling Hufflepuff off the Pitch, Alicia retreated there again, immediately going over to a particular shelf and pulling over the same books she had been studying lately while pulling out a sketchpad.

As she attempted to sketch a series of pictures inside, she felt the hairs on the back of the neck prickling. Glancing at the clock to see it was nearly time for dinner, she suddenly picked up the book and swung it behind her, unsurprised to hear a yelp and the sound of someone falling over.

"You know, you really are getting predictable," Alicia said with a sigh, reopening her book again. "If you want to know what I'm doing, you could try asking." She didn't hear anything for a moment. Andrew then walked up visible, pretending as if nothing happened.

"That's rather interesting," he said, pulling one of the sketches over as he sat down. "I've never seen you sketch coins before. What are they?"

"These are called obol…they're ancient Greek coins," Alicia said. "They're actually very significant in their mythology…they would put one of these in the mouths of their dead, because Charon charged one obol to cross the river Styx so they could go to the underworld after death. But the problem is…they're all so different. Every area must have had one…even the ones that are similar all have striking errors…"

"Why would that be a problem?" Andrew asked curiously.

"Well, apparently, Helga Hufflepuff always used to carry one in her pocket for luck…an enchanted one… although no one really knew exactly what sort of enchantment. Anyhow, it disappeared a long time ago. We think it's in the castle, although we don't know for sure…"

"We?" Andrew prompted.

"Yes, well, Professor Dusthorn and I, see she's the one who mentioned it…"

"Oh, no! Alicia, don't you think we have enough to do without going on treasure hunts for a painting?" Andrew sighed.

"No, not really. We're not supposed to be researching anything having to do with Ciardoth… well, unless you count the fact that Rel thinks that whole bit in the paper had something to do with her. All we're supposed to do is learn how to clear our minds and put up walls. Even Rel could teach us that. He could do that since before all of us could walk. And I feel like…like we should be _doing_ something, and Dusthorn seemed to think it was important to find it."

"All right, all right, Alicia. I suppose we can't get into too much trouble with this considering we'd be staying in the castle. I'll go along with it on two conditions. And I think you know what they are," Andrew said, looking thoughtfully at the coins once again. Alicia nodded slowly, looking at her book a moment.

"Think she'll get along with Rel?" she asked. Andrew merely grinned at her.

Aurelius stared at the painting in front of him warily. Caprica matched the scrutiny, but with an amused smile on his face.

"Nice eyes," she commented after a moment. "Doesn't really look like any of you though, does he? Although there's little doubt his looks are from the Craw side of the family."

"You've been spending the last four years talking to this thing?" Aurelius said, glancing at his sister.

"Well, three, really, starting on four," Alicia said.

"I don't get it," Aurelius said flatly.

"I thought all of the Headmaster paintings sleep unless there's some sort of security issue," Alex said curiously.

"I'm a portrait of a half-Pooka dear," Caprica said with amusement. "There hasn't been a Headmaster since that could control me, no not even Albus Dumbledore can do that!"

"I don't like the sound of that. Does Father know about this?" Aurelius asked.

"No, of course not," Alicia said.

"Yes, of course he does," Andrew said at the same time. Alicia turned and glared at him.

"What do you mean of course he does? You mean you told him?" Alicia said furiously. "Why you big nosed big mouthed…" Andrew immediately ducked behind Aurelius.

"I was worried! Don't get mad, Alicia, I was only making sure you weren't in any danger! Besides, he hasn't really tried to stop you, has he?" Andrew protested, moving with Aurelius who had tried to step out of the way.

"Of course not, he knows he can't," Caprica laughed again. "Not as long as you're under this roof, he can't! Now, Alicia, I'm sure he really did only do it because he cared about you…"

"Well I'm quite done up with both his spying and snitching!" Alicia said hotly. "I swear, if I catch you doing either to me again, I am going to drag you through a painting to the most hostile climate I can think of and leave you there!"

"All right, do it. I have passed my Apparation test after all…"

"Students, students, students!" Caprica said in a loud, firm tone. "Goodness, what's done is done! Do you always go at each other like this? But Alicia, you always told me you were so close! And here you are acting about as I expected for Snapes!" Four sets of eyes suddenly turned and gave her a dirty look. "Well, I see that got your attention," Caprica said cheerfully. "I really think we can get more done by working together. So, have you found anything out, Alicia?"

"Half a moment," Aurelius said, putting a hand out in front of his younger sister. "I want to know why it is exactly you want our help. Why don't you just ask Dumbledore, or a member of the staff to play fetch for you?"

"Well, the good professor has his hands more than full running this school," Caprica said with amusement. "And the faculty have their hands full trying to keep certain students out of trouble."

"I am a Slytherin Prefect. I don't get into trouble," Aurelius said firmly. The other three looked away to keep from betraying their expressions. But Caprica looked amused.

"If that's true, you're even less like Corey than I thought you were," she said.

"Thanks, but flattery doesn't get anywhere with me," Aurelius said.

"Rel, please, don't badger Professor Dusthorn like this," Alicia said. "The truth of the matter is I was the one looking for something to do, so when she mentioned this story about the missing coin, I couldn't help but be curious about it."

"To be perfectly honest, I'm rather curious about it as well," Alex put in. "Have you tried using a painting?" Aurelius threw up his hands.

"None of the pictures I've found seem to work…I think the coins are much too unique," Alicia explained. "I'd have to have an exact image of it."

"Wait a minute, you said she always carried it around, right?" Andrew said, and Caprica nodded. "Are there any paintings of her that have it?"

"Not in the castle that I know of," Caprica said. "But that is a good idea."

"We should check history, perhaps even statues and the like," Alex suggested. "Maybe we'll get lucky."

"Instead of wasting time doing that, why don't you just look for the coin?" Aurelius said with irritation. "It's probably in a dusty curio cabinet or something somewhere. It might be in Dumbledore's Study even."

"It's not in Dumbledore's Study, I assure you," Caprica said. "Nor is it in the Trophy Room."

"Wonderful, that leaves us only several hundred rooms to check, doesn't it?" Aurelius said dryly.

"That mean you're in, then?" Alicia asked.

"Why not, we don't have anything better to do at the moment…short of finishing that report, that is," Aurelius scowled. "And even if I said no, the three of you would do it behind my back anyhow. Well? Back to the library." Alicia waited for the others to file out of the abandoned classroom before sharing a private smile with Caprica.

Alicia awoke to find her head still resting on a pile of books and someone tugging on her sleeve.

"Have you been up all night? What a mess! What have you been doing? Don't forget we have an early class," Morfinn scolded her. "Need some smelling salts?"

"No, no, don't you dare," Alicia said, sitting up and looking around the common room before stretching as Morfinn peered at the books curiously.

"_Hogwarts, A History, Tales from Hufflepuff, _and_ the Life and Times of the Founder's of Hogwarts_? Trying to win some brownie points with Professor Sprout?"

"No, no, it's a long story. I'll tell you about it at breakfast," Alicia said, looking at her robes. "I need to change."

"Well, make up your mind, breakfast or change. You don't have time for both. We've Muggle Studies, you know," Morfinn reminded her.

Alicia groaned at the reminder. Bad enough she had to take the class at all, but Zoë and Zack were taking it this year too, and the situation in the classroom under their mother's instruction was anything but relaxed.

From the very first day, Zoë and Zack tested the waters every chance they got, and also spent quite a bit of time criticizing the book since the first time they had read the title of the first chapter; _Plugs and Why Muggles Need Them. _As much as Anna wanted to, she couldn't really tell them that she was no happier with the material than they were, but she did attempt to avoid any rebuttals. Zoë and Zack, however, were not so easy to avoid. In fact, after finally falling into line by the end of last year, Gryffindors soon found out that that one class was costing them substantial point losses from the very first session.

That day she found her attention taken by her niece as she shuffled in the door with a yawn. Morfinn helped her to her seat with a sigh, but even after breakfast, Alicia didn't look any more awake as she propped up her head in her hand and turned to the book. Squinting momentarily at the state of Alicia's robes, Anna shrugged it off momentarily as the rest of the class came in.

"All right, everyone, let's go ahead and quickly go through what topics you came up with for your research paper so I can approve them and we can get to the lesson," Anna said. As she walked to the first row, Anna couldn't help but notice the look of surprise and horror on Alicia's face, who then quickly grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something down. "I hope you put a lot of thought into it," she added dryly, glancing them over one by one then stopped as she stared at one. "You know, Gail, instead of explaining 'The Explosive Nature of Microwaves,' I think it'd be more beneficial to the class to explain how _not _to blow them up," Anna said. Zack snickered. "And just what did you come up with?" Anna asked testily, grabbing his. She blinked in surprise. "Differences and Similarities in the Political Circus; Parliament vs. the Ministry of Magic," she said, half tempted to take his temperature. "Trying to make up for all the point losses?"

"Trying to make up for the 'how to use a toaster without electrocuting yourself' mentality of this book," Zack said.

"I know you're not happy with the book," Anna said carefully. "But I think the majority of the class will be glad to have had those lessons when you see what our first field trip is this year."

"Which is?" Zack prompted as she tried to move on to Zoë.

"All my classes are going to the mansion the last weekend before the holidays to cook dinner…for everyone in the Great Hall. Without using any magic," Anna said.

"What?" Zack said, the sentiment repeated by several horrified students. Morfinn blew his nose, and Zack did a double take towards him. "Please don't tell me he's going to cook too!" Morfinn stuck his tongue out at him.

"Don't look at me, I'm not going to be here. Guess that means you'll have to make due without me."

"Thank God," Zack said.

"Something like that," Morfinn said dryly.

"All right, all right, we'll talk about the details later. Zoë, let's see what you have…" Anna's face darkened. "'Why this book sucks.' Well, that's an interesting topic, Zoë, but I suggest you expound that to; 'A study on approved educational materials for Muggle Studies with particular emphasis upon how the material could better represent the non-magic community and more effectively encourage tolerance among the differing societies,'" Zoë's jaw dropped as Anna wrote it down for her.

"How did you get all of that out of, 'Why this book sucks?'" Zoë asked, but didn't get an answer as Anna went on to the next student. It was pretty obvious from the choices in topic who the wizard born were versus those with mixed or non-magic families, for Anna hardly ever added to their topics of 'what are batteries', 'how to dial the operator on a telephone' or even 'what's with all the wires anyhow'. Despite the eye-rolls from some of the others in the class, she knew that was going to be a hard enough subject for them without adding an extra twist. Morfinn, unsurprisingly, picked to compare differences in Medicine, which Anna knew was going to end up more challenging than he realized. But she frowned at Alicia's, sighing at her.

"Why non-magic photos and pictures don't move? Alicia, tell me why they don't move?" Anna said.

"Well, because they're not magic?" Alicia said slowly.

"And how are you going to write a ten page paper or have a ten minute oral on that?" Anna asked. Alicia thought about it.

"Maybe they have different painting techniques or something…"

"Alicia, you didn't really spend much time this week thinking up a subject, did you?" Anna said.

"Actually, I have been rather distracted," Alicia admitted.

"I think you've all been spending too much time enjoying the summery weather," Anna chided her. "I'll give you until Monday morning before my first class to come up with something. But it had better be good," she warned before having them all turn to that week's lesson.

But Anna was very glad when lunch finally came around, tossing the books on her desk with no respect for them whatsoever as she plopped into her chair with a sigh.

"That bad eh?" said a voice above her. Anna looked up thoughtfully, not expecting Caprica but not altogether surprised either.

"There you are," Anna said, reluctantly straightening her desk. "I wondered when you'd be back."

"Why, that almost sounds as if you missed me," Caprica said amused.

"As a matter of fact, there are some occasions I find you're the sanest thing about this school," Anna said, and Caprica laughed. "To be perfectly honest, I really hate having my kids in my classroom."

"Especially when they have a good reason to argue with the instructor?" Caprica said with amusement. Anna blew a strand of hair out of her face.

"Well, I can hardly deny it," Anna said, shaking her head. "This class has gone down hill ever since I left it. But I really hope they don't act like that in everyone's class when they have a problem with the material!"

"Oh, they do," Caprica assured her amusedly. Anna sighed again in annoyance.

"No doubt who their father is, is there?"

"They didn't get that bluntness just from their father, dear," Caprica grinned at her. "The boldness, perhaps. Still, they've come a long way from the two I observed after I first woke up. Especially that Zoë, she's been a real handful…but all in all, they've turned out very well," she added quickly when she saw the expression on Anna's face. "But really, what I'm interested in is how you feel about the course. Do you feel like you don't have enough leeway?"

"No, of course not, Dumbledore gives me plenty of leeway, obviously, considering what field trips I have planned this year," Anna said. "It's just that I wish I would have accepted the job earlier so I could have planned better books. It's like…well, how many books on women psychology are written by men…popular ones too. It's ridiculous to have a wizard born author attempt to write this stuff, and every Muggle born in the class can't help but know it."

"Well, why don't you write them, then?" Caprica suggested.

"Don't tempt me," Anna chuckled, shaking her head. "But there are times when I wonder if things really are getting better."

"Of course they are, Anna," Caprica said with a smile. "But goodness, you of all people surely understand that tolerance is hardly a lesson learned overnight…it takes generations of working at it. You know it wasn't that long ago that Muggle Studies was even added as a course, and then it met quite a bit of controversy."

"Yes, I know, Dumbledore told me about it," Anna said. "It was something he himself began not long after Voldemort had been thwarted by Harry…over the board's voting it down. He said he had Fudge and the Ministry press for it after the Death Eater inquiries."

"That was only thirty years ago," Caprica said. "Pardon, but from my perspective as a painting hundreds of years old, I'd say the society has been making record-breaking progress."

"It's had a few backslides too. Everything that happened with Malfoy last year comes to mind," Anna said dryly. "What happened to the Haveners…"

"Setbacks, to be sure," Caprica agreed, then shook her head. "But after all I've seen, I've got to say it has come a long way…you know, when I was an apprentice, those who accepted Muggleborns in the general public were actually a majority…back when mobs and attempted witch burnings were quite fresh on everyone's mind and being stoned for being 'servants of the devil' were very common occurrences. No, Anna, this fight has never been one sided…and back then there were a lot of reasons to be fearful or hateful. The only thing worse, I suppose, was being something that fell in between…like being an Aethermage for example." Anna looked up at the portrait, pursing her lips questioningly, and Caprica nodded. "Perhaps I never mentioned that before I became Headmaster that we had an Aethermage on staff…good man, actually, a very good friend of Icarus. I would have liked to have gotten to know him better."

"What happened to him?" Anna said, curious in spite of herself.

"Depends on who you ask," Caprica said softly. "As far as history, the staff, and students at the time, he simply disappeared, much like Janus and Salazar himself did later that year. But Janus or Icarus might tell you what truly happened; what at the time, the real Caprica Dusthorn simply suspected…that he was detained and tortured to death by Salazar Slytherin." Caprica began to walk out of the frame and Anna stood up.

"Wait a minute! Don't you dare leave now! I want you to tell me more about this!" Anna said. "At least give me a name!"

"I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore is calling. Besides, it wasn't as if I saw it myself. I wasn't painted then, and I didn't even know for certain that is what happened until a few short years ago. You'll have to ask someone who was there," Caprica said solemnly, the rushes of the golden fields seeming to bow in her direction as she left.

Fully aware that she was being manipulated by a painting, Anna couldn't help but push her books aside. With absolutely no appetite for food, she still forced herself to head for the staff room, wondering what the chances were that Hermione was there.

Alicia was having her own problems with distractions. For Friday night was the night of her art lessons, which meant rushing from dinner to their hour of drills with their father only then to hurry over the studio.

"Did everyone remember we were going to work on animals?" Francis Pyther asked with a smile.

"Ugh! Just give me one second, I need to hop over and get Marion," Alicia said apologetically, stepping up into the nearest frame.

"Marion?" Pyther said in stunned surprise as Alicia disappeared from view, frowning at the painting.

"You know, her Chameleander," Andrew said as he went over to the window to open it.

"I knew I shouldn't have told her my middle name," Pyther said, then chuckled to himself. Alex suddenly frowned, glancing at the painting with a worried look on her face.

"Francis Marion?" Aurelius said in a disbelieving tone.

"My father told me that my mother picked it so she didn't have to chose two different names," Francis admitted, smiling at some of the other students as they came in.

"Your mother didn't tell you?" Morfinn asked curiously as he got out his watercolors.

"No, I never knew her, she died bearing me," Francis said. "Everyone have an animal?"

"No, I'm allergic," Morfinn explained. "Come to think of it, I'd better get nearer to the window."

Andrew was about to advise against it when a finch and several owls flew in to find their owners and Morfinn began sneezing miserably. The finch, Darwin, made himself comfortable on Andrew's finger while many of the owls found themselves a spot on easels, including a snowy white owl who received a gentle pat from Jamie as she took her place.

A moment later several of the students, especially Jamie and Joanie, watched with interest as Alicia climbed out of one the paintings with an aquarium in hand, setting it carefully on a stool. Inside the sleek white amphibian changed from white to a curious purple as it climbed out of the water onto a branch to survey its surroundings.

"Now that is going to be a tricky subject," Pyther decided. "You'll be hard pressed to get the colors right. You may want to just concentrate on form for now, Alicia. Morfinn, perhaps we ought to stick you in a corner. Hm, but what will you paint?"

"I suppose he can borrow Achilles. I was thinking of painting Pali," Aurelius said. Suddenly he noticed an owl still on the window sill ruffling his feathers as if offended and Aurelius immediately regretted his words.

"Splendid! Then perhaps I'll paint this handsome fellow," Francis said cheerfully, offering a polite arm to Fluke. But Fluke merely eyed him a moment, flying off again.

"He's still very touchy," Aurelius explained, as he attempted to make Achilles look comfortable on an end table near Morfinn.

"Well, perhaps if we ignore the window, he'll come back. I dare think he's mainly just looking for the company," Pyther said, then glanced at Aurelius. "Are you certain you want to try this by memory? It's really difficult to get the ghost paint to respond correctly if you're not looking at your subject."

"Not unless you want to authorize a trip out to the Glen," Aurelius said. Pyther stared at him, his face growing even greyer than usual at the thought.

"Well, let's just see how you do," Pyther said meekly, and Aurelius rolled his eyes.

"How old do you have to be to go into the Forest?" Jamie asked curiously.

"Mainly you just need a subject that might require it and a Professor willing to stick his neck out," Alexandria said. "Doctor Sagittari takes students out sometimes for Magical Creatures. Snape does too, but definitely not first years."

"Yeah, you'll probably be in third year at least before you get to go," Andrew agreed then glanced at Aurelius. "Still, I wouldn't mind getting out there once before it starts to cool down. Want me to ask about it?"

"Yes, maybe I can bring some sketch books, Rel, so you can have something for reference," Alicia offered, and Aurelius nodded thoughtfully at that. "Although honestly, I'm really not all that good at painting animals. Not like you are, Mr. Pyther." Alex glanced at her sister, but then had to react to Tes trying to jump off the stool, giving the lightning kitten some treats out of her pocket.

"You're coming along splendidly," Pyther assured her with a smile. "The rules for painting animals are really not that much different than painting people, Alicia. You have to study them, observe them, watch their lines as they move…what makes them startle…light up…catches their interest…and the more you observe, the more you'll improve. But don't get too caught up in your subject, of course. Art can be very intimate. Ah, here…here is the proof," Pyther said as he paused behind Aurelius' starting sketch, several of the students peering over at the rough lines of the Unicorn curiously. "He's barely begun, but already there's soul in the eyes of the steed that only someone who truly is bonded to one can really capture."

"Do you mind?" Aurelius said irritably, but his three siblings smiled knowingly at their brother.

"Sorry. What I mean to say is, you have all come a long way since we first started doing this, especially when it comes to developing your own personal flares…Alex and Aurelius' vivid color…Andrew's structure…Morfinn's impressionism…even Halbert's figures are becoming less stiff," Pyther teased, Halbert grinning in response as his flying frog familiar leapt all around his painting. "And the twins have come a long way too…wherever they are tonight."

"We have come a long way," Alicia agreed, "but none of us will ever be the master you are." But Pyther merely smiled modestly at her. Aurelius rolled his eyes.

"It's true I have over six hundred years of experience as far as painting is concerned," Pyther said. "But I can tell you there's already one branch of painting that all of you can do better than I can."

"And what's that?" Alicia asked.

"Self portraits," the vampire grinned, going back to his own painting as the class broke out in a chuckle.


	14. A Ghost From The Past

Chapter Fourteen

A Ghost From the Past

Severus Snape was making rounds after lunch that weekend and found Alex, Alicia, and Aurelius at a back library table, huddled deep in discussion. They had been doing that a lot lately, he frowned, wondering if he should go in and see what they were up to. And where was Andrew? Halbert had still been in the Great Hall consuming everything he could get his hands on when Severus left, so he had assumed Andrew would be with his siblings. Flipping open his watch he glanced at it, then turned around and headed for the courtyard.

As he got to the door he stopped dead in his tracks, his jaw dropping momentarily as he took in the scene of a half a dozen girls in a circle; some standing, some sitting on the edge of a fountain while in the center an obnoxiously cute flying squirrel played to the audience by doing a full somersault in mid-air. An enthusiastic applause came from the girls, also laughing a bit and whispering to each other while Severus took a step to the side to get a better look at the squirrel, who seemed to be doing handstands as well, and watched the scene in disbelief. But it was when they stopped to pet him and Juliet even dared to pick him up that Severus rolled his eyes and shook his head, coming over with an intentionally quick pace so they would notice him. Looking up, Juliet quickly dropped the squirrel and backed up, the other girls doing the same. Some of them edged away as unobtrusively as they could as they suddenly remembered homework they needed to get done.

"Mr. Snape," Severus said with unmistakable annoyance in his voice. "Selling tickets? Or are we just looking for street donations? Come forward. Now," he ordered dangerously, and within a few steps Andrew appeared before him, looking around as most of the girls seemed more interested in one another's hair or shoes than what was going on next to them.

"They were just curious, Professor. I didn't see any harm in demonstrating…"

"Don't even attempt to explain, Mr. Snape, you'll only dig yourself in deeper," Severus said with a sigh. "I know there's not any school rules that 'technically' prohibit you from changing form on your own time…however, do me a favor? Don't let me catch you doing it again? Or one way or the other you will find yourself in my office…for being a blatant showoff if not for any other reason," he snarled, then lowered his voice. "Don't think I don't know what you were _really_ doing, Andrew. I'll be keeping an eye on you," he warned before turning back towards the door. Andrew grinned nervously at his father when he turned to give one last disapproving glance back before going inside. Shrugging slightly, Andrew smiled apologetically to his audience who were all gazing back at him sympathetically.

Severus walked down the corridor shaking his head, wearing such a look on his face that students on the way through went out of their way to avoid him. Finally he turned down the stairs towards the dungeons and into Jennifer's office to find her crouched over the Cauldron working on another experiment. She glanced up briefly when he came in, but was too involved at first to give him more than a cursory look.

"What's wrong, did you find them snooping about again?" Jennifer asked distractedly.

"Worse," Severus said in such a voice that Jennifer attempted to stabilize the brew long enough for her to look up at him. "It appears that Andrew has discovered girls." Jennifer laughed at him, but Severus' expression didn't change.

"Hardly a surprise, is it, at his age? After all, he's sixteen."

"No, no, Jennifer… he hasn't just discovered _one_ girl. He's discovered them _all_," Severus said irritably. "And enjoying every minute of it! And what is worse is that they seem to be enjoying it back!"

"I'm sure he'll grow out of it, Severus," Jennifer said. "Although I do admit, I've noticed that the girls in his class have always seemed to take to him even before the Animagus thing. He's just never noticed it before. In fact, he's had more admirers than even Alex, and she's a knockout, even if she does talk too much. I think it's his layback personality."

"It's definitely not his looks," Severus said grumpily. "He's awkward and gangly, thin and pale, and his face leaves much to be desired."

"On the contrary, I think he's quite handsome. And there's nothing at all gangly about him, even if he is a bit thin right now. I'm sure that'll even out when he's done growing," Jennifer said. "Why does it bother you so much? Did you really think your looks had so much to do with what happened in school?"

"I'd rather not be psychoanalyzed at the moment, thank you," Severus said in such a terse voice that Jennifer smiled apologetically, knowing that had burned more than she had intended it to.

"Well, it'll be interesting to see who he'll be bringing to the dance next week," Jennifer said, stirring the Cauldron. "The only thing I am sure of in that matter is that it will not be Ginger Davidson."

It was only a few days before Halloween, and Halbert still hadn't worked up enough nerve to ask Ginger out. After coaxing him all day, Andrew finally began to lose his patience at dinner and nudged his friend hard.

"Come on, Halbert, it really is now or never. People are starting to get up," Andrew told him, elbowing him hard.

"You sure she doesn't have a date yet?" Halbert murmured.

"I was sure this morning. Alicia checked, but that's been hours," Andrew said. "You should have asked in Herbology."

"But we were mulching! I hardly had the time!" Halbert protested.

"Well, you have the time now, so you'd best get it over with," Andrew said, pulling him to his feet.

"What if she says no?" Halbert asked in a low voice.

"Then you ask someone else," Andrew said simply.

"And then what if _she_ says no?"

"Halbert, just do it," Andrew said with unusual firmness, glaring at him until finally Halbert shuffled over to the Hufflepuff table. Alicia looked up first, smiling encouragingly at Halbert as he came over, waving to her when she greeting him.

"Ginger, can I talk to you for a moment?" Halbert said.

"Sure," Ginger said with a shrug. Halbert waited a moment, but she didn't make any move to get up from the table. Beside her, June looked at him curiously.

"Well, I was just wondering if you had an escort yet for the Halloween dance, because if not, I would be honored to go with you," Halbert said stiffly, all too aware that everyone else still at that end of the table was watching him too. Someone snickered, but when Halbert glanced down the table everyone seemed to be eating. Even Ginger, who never seemed rattled by anything, looked a bit off balance as she cleared her throat, noticing Alicia's and Morfinn's eyes directly on her as well as Andrew watching from the other table.

"Oh, ah…well…" Ginger began, glancing at June desperately but her friend didn't seem to be paying attention. "Halbert," she said then, deciding for the honest approach. "I'm not exactly the tallest girl in our class." Halbert blinked at her.

"So? Does it matter?"

"I think…I think it'd be a bit awkward, Halbert, for both of us," she said, her cheeks growing pink but her face was serious. "I'd rather have a partner I could look in the eye. Really, I think we'd both be better off not doing putting ourselves through that. But…you're a nice guy, Halbert and you're good at…you're a good Beater," she said, nodding to him despite his crestfallen face. "Maybe we can get together and study sometime. Herbology. We're still friends, right?"

"Right," Halbert said, but still stood there a moment trying to think of something to say. Finally he gave up. "All right," he said, going back to his seat. Alicia's eyes followed him sympathetically until she met her brother's, slowly shaking her head before getting up and walking to the Ravenclaw table. But Andrew could have guessed the answer from the look on his face as Halbert sat back down.

"So?" Andrew asked softly.

"She uh… well, she said maybe we could study sometime," he said with a shrug.

"But no dance?" Andrew asked. Halbert shook his head.

"She was nice about it though," he went on when he saw the dark look on Andrew's face. "She was just concerned about…well…I'm part giant, after all…"

"What? Did she say…"

"No, no…she just wants a date that can she can look at in the eye, well, you know. Maybe it would have been awkward at that, come to think of it. I wonder if there are any ghosts still free. It wouldn't matter to them…"

"It wouldn't matter to someone who was your friend, Halbert," Andrew said firmly.

"Hey guys!" They both looked up to see Alex standing there, Alicia close behind. "Halbert, can I talk to you a moment? Outside, preferably," Alex went on with a smile.

"It isn't about Davidson, is it?" Halbert said guardedly.

"No, I just have a problem I was hoping you could help me with," Alex said. Suspiciously, Halbert got up and walked her out, while Alicia took his spot across from Andrew.

"And just what are you both up to?" Andrew asked.

"Alex is going to ask him to go to the dance with her," Alicia said in a low voice. "I knew she wasn't planning to go with anyone, so when I explained what happened, she volunteered."

"I still can't believe Ginger would treat him like that…"

"She really did try to let him down as easy as she could," Alicia assured him. "She just didn't think…"

"Well, that much is certain," Andrew interrupted, getting up. "I only hope Halbert wises up about her…but probably not. Come on, I suppose it's lesson time," he sighed. But as they met up with Aurelius and walked out the door to meet Alex, she had a very enigmatic smile on her face. "Where's Halbert?"

"Oh, he headed up to the common room to study. I happened to remind him about how Snape always makes us pass that last Defense test before he'll let us go to the ball," Alex winked.

"Don't tell me you're going to that thing with that big oaf," Aurelius said, ignoring the vicious glares coming from Alicia and Andrew behind them.

"I prefer taller men," Alex agreed, and Aurelius rolled his eyes as they continued down the corridor.

Severus stared at the window at the pouring rain as a rumble of thunder rippled in the distance. He hadn't realized how long he had been standing there until Jennifer entered in her new dress ready for the evening ahead, but she paused when he saw his worried expression.

"It's only rain," she said gently, walking over to him and taking his arm. "Probably the end of this warm weather we've been having. Hope it's not too chilly for the game this weekend."

"And what makes you so certain this rain is natural?" Severus asked.

"Severus, it's always rainy this time of year," Jennifer pointed out.

"And is it always so warm?"

"It's been this warm before," Jennifer said. "It's been much colder before, too, but it's hardly anything to be concerned about."

"I'm not so sure," Severus said distantly.

"Well, you can stay here and guard us against the rain if you like, but I am going to the Halloween Feast and hope there's something I can nibble on this year," Jennifer said in annoyance, turning for the door.

"Wait," Severus said with a sigh, then turned as well holding an arm out. Taking it, Jennifer smiled at him despite his grumpy face. "Well, I can't have you showing up alone, can I? People will talk."

"You worry so much about that," Jennifer teased them as they went downstairs.

There were quite a few disappointed girls when Andrew decided not to ask anyone at all, despite a number of well-placed hints. He was especially put off about the dance after Zack's own bad luck with Juliet. She refused to spend an entire evening having to deal with Zack's best friend, a poltergeist named Peeves, who was sure to be right by his side. It was not long after Juliet began hinting quite openly to Andrew she was available that he finally decided it wasn't worth the trouble. He had, of course, considered hanging around with one of the castle ghosts, but most of the good ones had already been taken. Jamie Potter, of all people, had been the first to ask Nearly Headless Nick, while Joanie and Johnny Martin decided to team up, smuggling in a chess game which they set up in a back corner. Juliet had decided after losing her other options to take the Bloody Baron, being one of the few students not intimidated by him. Alicia again took Janus Craw, and Aurelius dutifully made his presence known beside Stella, although it was obvious from his stiffness he had no true interest in her…Slytherin politics at work. Eigil had had no trouble getting a date despite his height, Andrew saw with annoyance, picking one of the prettiest of the Slytherin seventh years, a girl named Mona Metternich. But Andrew also didn't miss the dark look on Eigil's face when Alex came in on Halbert's arm after having been told by her that she had already had a date.

"Hullo, you two. Nice dress, Alex, I don't think I've seen that one before. Rather Mugglish," Andrew said.

"Thanks," Alex beamed brightly at the compliment.

"Haven't seen that necklace before either, where did you get it?"

Alex's hand suddenly went to her neck, playing with the golden heart pendant there with a strange expression on her face.

"Oh, um, I got it over the summer," Alex explained. "Doesn't Halbert look splendid in his new dress robes?"

"Splendid, splendid," Andrew said with amusement at the somewhat uncomfortable look on his face. "Well, I'll let the two of you go and have fun. I'm going to see what sort of wall flowers there are to pick," Andrew winked and began to mingle, Halbert and Alex staring at each other with surprise.

"Alex!" The two of them glanced over to see Alicia coming towards them, Janus following close behind and nodding at them with a smile. "Just what did you get me into? That's the last time I ask you advice on a research paper. Now I've got my work cut out for me and then some!" she said irritably.

"Whatever do you mean?" Alex asked innocently. "You asked me for a famous Muggle painter and I gave you one."

"Well, apparently this DaVinci guy did a lot more stuff than paint, and Aunt Anna wants me to talk about that too!"

"He did? Imagine that," Alex said. Alicia folded her arms, not buying it. "We're going to go dance. Have fun, Alicia!" Alex said, dragging Halbert with her.

"Shall we join them, Miss Snape?" Janus asked with a smile, and Alicia sighed in resignation, putting academics aside to join her adopted ghost.

As they took to the floor, Anna, who had just come in with her husband a moment before, fixed her eyes on Janus thoughtfully, wondering if there would be any opportune moments to try to speak to the ghost. Icarus, too, had also been scarce of late, and as she scanned the rest of the ghosts she saw no sign of him.

"How I've missed these Hogwarts Balls," Sirius said in a half-joking, half-wistful tone. "All the uncomfortable looking students stepping on each other's feet, vying for attention from other partners than the one that they're with, and wearing dress clothes in such an odd, stiff sort of way I can't help but imagine what labors it must have taken to force themselves into such things. I don't see Zoë and Zack yet, do you?"

Anna, who hadn't been looking, shook her head, distracted then by the sight of Andrew standing in front of several girls sitting together next to the unlit fireplaces, apparently making some sort of impression on one of them, leading her to the dance floor. Ginger, dancing with Garret Meyers, did a double-take and glared when she saw her best friend June on the dance floor with Andrew, who despite his height came off with impeccable grace.

"If it wasn't for his nose, I'd swear he had another father," Sirius said, then glanced around with a smirk before leaning over slightly towards his wife. "Now there's a girl I would expect to see dating Aurelius. She looks like death warmed over, doesn't she?" Anna turned and gave him a dirty look, but as she looked at the dance floor, she privately thought that Stella definitely didn't seem to be Aurelius' type.

Aurelius excused himself for a moment to go over the refreshment table, catching a glimpse of activity in the far corner. Glancing back at Stella who had stopped to talk to Eigil and Mona, Aurelius went to investigate. It only took one look at the names and tallies on Zoë's notebook and at the crowd around the chess table to know what was going on as Joanie waited with apparent boredom for Ted Gaffney to make the next move. Off to the side, Shelly, Ted's date, looked very irate at the whole thing.

"Why don't you just bring the cards out while you're at it?" Aurelius said sarcastically, frowning at his cousin.

"Well, if you think we could get away with it," Zoë said smoothly. "Care to get in? I can't take bets on how many moves now, but there's good odds on Ted to win."

"Because he hasn't got a prayer," Aurelius said.

"Hey!" Ted said, glaring at him. But in that moment, Joanie made her move and hit the counter. "Hey, what did you do?"

"That's what you get for not keeping your eyes on the board," Joanie said.

"I can't believe you're involved in this, Gaffney, being Head Boy…"

"Oh, dry up, Snape. I'm playing, not betting."

"You're not doing anything about it, either," Aurelius snapped.

"Rel, I swear if you do anything, I am soooo going to…" whatever Zoë was going to say was cut off when she saw her father approaching. She bit her tongue and glared warningly at him.

"Hi, Zoë. Making any money?" Sirius said so casually that Aurelius stared at him.

"Sure, but I won't know how much until three more moves," Zoë said, looking at Joanie questioningly, but Joanie shrugged.

"He's doing okay for an amateur," she said.

"I swear, you are the cheekiest first year I have ever met," Ted told her in annoyance as he made his move. "And behind Zoë and her brother, that's saying a lot."

"No sweat, Ted, you'll beat her," Phil Rich said encouragingly. "Just ignore the taunting and play." But when the attention went back to the game, Aurelius didn't miss Sirius slipping a coin in Zoë's palm. Zoë murmured something to Sirius who nodded to her before turning to his wary nephew and taking him by the shoulder to lead him back towards the refreshment table.

"So Aurelius, who's the girl?" Sirius asked in a low voice.

"Stella Bulstrode, she's just the other Prefect. In fact, I'd better be getting our drinks," Aurelius said.

"Ah, I knew her face seemed familiar. They all look a lot alike," Sirius chuckled and Aurelius frowned at him. "So it's nothing serious, then?"

"No girl is worth losing Pali for," Aurelius said simply. But Sirius smiled skeptically at him.

"I know you say that now, but I'm sure down the line…"

"Uncle Sirius, Unicorn or not, Pali is still my best friend. Would you let a girl get between you and your best friend at school?" Aurelius asked challengingly. Sirius looked completely taken aback at the question. In fact, he looked as if he had been smacked. After staring at him appraisingly for a moment he slowly shook his head.

"No, of course I wouldn't. Let one get between me and my worst enemy, maybe," Sirius chuckled weakly. "Excuse me." Aurelius puzzledly watched him walk off before grabbing the drinks and joining Stella, Stock and Mary who were watching the piñata being set up.

But Sirius' mood had turned dark as his thoughts went back in time, unable to shake memories he had so much wanted to forget. In fact until the house burning the year before, he had boxed them deeply away in his mind. Strange how it had been Severus Snape that had given him the torch that had ripped that wound open again.

"Hi, Dad!" Sirius pulled himself out of it long enough to acknowledge his son, who seemed to be covered from head to toe in cake and chocolate syrup. "Have you met Peeves?" Fading in with a pumpkin pie, Peeves suddenly turned the plate over and dropped it on Zack's head.

"We've met, thanks," Sirius said dryly.

"Zacchius Black! What in the world have you been doing?" Anna said as she, Jennifer and Severus came up beside them.

"It's all right Mom…Madame…whatever. We do this every year. It's my job to keep Peeves occupied on Halloween so he doesn't cause too much trouble," Zack explained as he tried to clear some of the pie off his neck and shoulders, leaving a crusty mess on his head.

"Yes, and the brilliance of it is that it also works in reverse," Severus said snidely.

"You want some pie, Professor?" Zack challenged him.

"Do you want to spend the rest of the year in detention?" Severus warned him back.

"Lay off, Severus," Sirius snapped with such bite that everyone stopped to look at him.

"He was just joking, Dad," Zack said.

"Partially," Severus admitted. But Jennifer was still eyeing Sirius, and she knew something was really wrong.

"I don't care, I want you to leave him alone! Just stay away, Severus!" Sirius snarled, a very frightening look on his face.

Just then, a strong wind blew one of the large windows open and it was followed by a flash of lightning, the thunder cracking deafeningly just outside. Even though the lights inside weren't flickering, Severus and the rest of the staff were immediately alert for trouble, while the student band fell silent and all the students looked at each other nervously.

"Oh no, it's her," Jennifer murmured. Severus whipped around, having expected the 'her' to be Ciardoth. But in many ways, the image before him was much worse.

Standing before them was the image of a girl in Gryffindor robes who looked to be in one of her final years. Her hair was straight and dark, and her angry eyes were unmistakably green. Although she seemed to have substance, Jennifer knew it was the image of a girl who had died years ago. She took a few steps towards them, walking straight through several students who didn't seem to see her at all. But Jennifer also noticed as she came forward that Severus and Sirius' faces dramatically changed as years were painfully torn away from them, their full attention on her. Anna pulled Zacchius back, but he simply stared at her, completely confused by her actions and wondering what she was looking at.

"Not again! What is with you? Don't you two ever stop fighting?" the girl said angrily.

"Amanda…" Severus stammered. "We weren't fighting…"

"You've never stopped!" she said. "His fault, your fault, James' fault, never _my_ fault! I've had it with the whole thing! You are so wrapped up in your own little egos that you can't see what you're doing to yourselves, let alone to me! And what about Lily? You promised her after the Quidditch thing, and here you are at it again! Well, you had better have this settled by the holidays, or so help me I'm going to tell her the truth! About everything!" she shouted, tears in her eyes as she turned and walked towards the doors.

"No. No-no, you've got to stay at Hogwarts, you can't go home! YOU CAN'T GO HOME! Damn it Amanda, you won't come back!" Sirius shouted and broke down in tears, falling to his feet after a hesitant step forward.

Severus stood still and pale as the image faded, only vaguely aware of all the confused students standing around them now. Jennifer's face was streaked with tears, while Anna felt quite helpless to do anything until Hermione and Albus made their way through the crowd.

"What has happened? Sirius, are you all right?" Albus said.

"There was a strange girl here, Professor," said a student from the crowd. With surprise, Anna looked up to see Jamie Potter standing there. "But hardly anyone seemed to be able to see her."

"It was the image of Amanda Elwood," Severus said, his voice sounding distant.

"Amanda…here…after all of these years…strange…" Albus murmured, looking around. "Did anyone else see her?"

"I did," Aurelius said, stepping up. "No one else that I spoke to about it has."

"Come, Sirius, let's go to my office and have a talk…Anna, if you'd help me get him to his feet…Severus?" Albus said.

"Fine, Sir," Severus said, but it was obvious from the look Albus gave him over the rim of his glasses he wasn't convinced. "I would like to stay and make sure there was no outside cause to what occurred and run some security checks."

"I'll keep an eye on him, Professor," Jennifer volunteered, taking Severus' arm. Severus gazed at her searchingly, but didn't make any verbal protest.

"Would anyone mind telling us what just happened?" Aurelius asked. Jamie nodded in agreement.

"I'll see you both in my office tomorrow," Severus said in a low voice, the two of them glancing at each other unsurely.

"Everyone else is unnerved as well. Should I tell them to start heading back to their rooms?" Hermione asked Severus in a low voice.

"No, they're probably safer here," Severus murmured. "Try to play it off."

"Oh right, that'll work," Hermione said with a sigh, closing the window with a tap of her wand as she tried to think up some way to get them all to relax again.

Jennifer stepped into Severus' sitting room later that night after the security checks to find him brooding at the window. She sighed silently, slipping over to the tray and taking out a canister of Severus' favorite tea. He seemed oblivious to her actions at first until she stepped up beside him with a cup and such a gentle look in her eyes when she held the cup out to him that he paused stare at her.

"Come sit down, Severus, you look tired," Jennifer said coaxingly.

"How did you know?" he asked quietly, still gazing at her. "When she appeared, you seemed to recognize her and yet I know we've never spoke of it."

"Not directly," Jennifer said softly back. "But you really never needed to. I knew something had happened since the very year we met at the Christmas Ball, to be honest. The way you and Sirius looked at each other that night when you cut in…and I noticed that every now and then when the two of you are talking, one of you would remember something and almost say it…but couldn't bring yourselves to talk about it. I knew it was a girl at school. I even knew you both blamed each other for her death for years. But I didn't know her name until you set aside that torch for Sirius this summer."

"Well, perhaps if you've guessed this much then this next fact will come as no surprise to you," Severus said in a low voice. "Amanda Elwood was Lily Evans' best friend."

"Of course, it makes perfect sense," Jennifer said. "She was the next best thing to her, since you both realized that Lily was unreachable and you both were in love with her as much as James was." Severus gazed in his tea a moment, then shrugged, setting it down.

"Everyone was, really…every boy in her year and many outside of it, despite the fact Lily was Muggleborn. She was vibrant, full of life, and she was kind to everyone…even me, although God knows what I did to deserve it…that's as much of a mystery as who it was she ended up with. There seemed to be no one she couldn't tolerate to some degree. What she hated was hatred; and in that we were all at odds at her at some time or another, and that was never a pleasant experience.

"Amanda was a lot like her in many ways, Muggleborn as well, though she had a worse temper…and despite the difference in hair color and face, they had very similar green eyes, more emerald than cat-like. I would be lying if I didn't tell you that your eyes weren't the first thing I noticed when I first saw you," Severus murmured, but Jennifer merely smiled. "But you are right in your guess that we saw Amanda as an alternative…and soon she found herself caught in the middle of the whole war. And of course we were too full of ourselves…too full of our…'competition' to truly be paying attention to her feelings on the matter. Nor did we truly hear her when she tried to come to us with her concerns over her family, who had begun to receive threatening letters from Halloween until we broke for the holidays. We were both enraged when they came up missing…and instead of ending the argument between Sirius and I it fueled it, adding to the already fierce hatred between us, a quest for revenge against whatever the other one did last. It wasn't until after Dumbledore saved my life and pulled me out of Voldemort's clutches merely to send me back in again that I realized just how idiotic the whole situation had been and who the real murderer was. I carried the guilt of my part in it until after I met you. It was only then I began promising myself that I wasn't going to let anything block my vision so far as not to see when you needed me. Of course, I failed miserably…"

"Nonsense, Severus. You've always been there when I needed you in the end. Sure, we've had more than our number of arguments over the years…and even knockdowns," Jennifer admitted wryly. "But then we're both extremely opinionated people. No one ever said happily ever after was going to be easy."

"You are the best thing that ever happened to me," Severus told her firmly.

"I'd hate to imagine how either one of us could have managed this far alone," Jennifer said with a smile, then turned thoughtful. "Do you think Sirius is going to be all right?" Severus turned thoughtful, turning to his tea once more.

"I am not certain," Severus admitted distantly. "While the rest of us were going through a living hell, Sirius was going through a hell without living…surrounded by the Dementors of Azkaban, his only choice was to hide…to disconnect from his own horrors, to refuse to acknowledge his pain. And he's been doing it ever since…annoyingly sarcastic and joking on the surface, while the very techniques he used to keep his sanity is jeopardizing it by driving his darker thoughts further in. Still…his being forced to face this may be a good thing, as long as he doesn't try to bury it again."

"Your sister tends to do the same with her problems," Jennifer said.

"Yes, which is why things have gotten so shaky between them the last few years," Severus agreed. "Zoë and Zack are aware of it, of course, in fact they've both recently spoken to me on the subject. But I think the only thing that will truly make things better for them is to unload the baggage from both sides and sort it all out together, assuming they learn to trust each other."

"A subject neither of us have much room to criticize them on," Jennifer said, but nodded. "Maybe that's why the ghost showed up, Severus, to force Sirius to deal with it." Severus frowned, gazing at her.

"Jennifer, Amanda didn't leave a ghost," Severus said. "And even if she had, she didn't die anywhere near the castle, or even close by. They lived in Dover."

"But then how do you explain what happened?" Jennifer said. "And why did some of us see it, when no one else did?"

"That is what I want to know as well," Severus said, leaning back. "And why did it happen tonight?"

Severus was hardly the only one with questions. The next morning, Aurelius and Jamie passed silent looks as they came out of his office before heading to their own classes. By lunch Aurelius was more than ready to see his siblings, and none of them had been surprised when their Slytherin classmates passed on the word for them to meet at the Elf Willow for an impromptu meeting.

"So this girl that you saw was someone Uncle Sirius and Father fought over in school, and she was killed by Voldemort?" Alex paraphrased after Aurelius filled them in.

"Right, although I got the feeling from the look on his face that he was holding back more than he was actually saying," Aurelius said.

"What I want to know is what exactly was she, and why couldn't everyone see her?" Alicia asked.

"Well, it's not completely uncommon for a spirit to only be visible to who they want," Andrew said.

"Yes, but why pick Rel? I mean, I suppose I can understand Jamie if it had something to do with her grandfather…do you suppose it has something to do with the Truth-Seeking? Mum could see her too…"

"I don't know, Alicia," Aurelius said, holding his head a moment. "To be perfectly honest, ever since…ever since Ciardoth made herself known again, I haven't been getting much more than impressions from people. And don't forget Aunt Anna saw something too."

"Could be because she's an Aethermage," Alex put in.

"Zoë and Zack didn't see anything, and they have similar powers," Alicia said.

"They're still not Aethermages, they just have a lot of wild magic," Alex said.

"It may just be because of their connections to Sirius and Father," Aurelius said. "I don't know…I don't even know what she was, she looked so…so real compared to ghosts…solid unless she was actually walking through someone. Father doesn't even think she was a ghost, exactly, although I'm not sure what else it could be."

"Mass hallucination?" Andrew suggested.

"Too personal for that, too exact…and it wouldn't have pulled in people that had no idea who the girl was," Aurelius said. "I don't know. What was it like on your end?"

"Well, one moment we were all out having a good time, cheering Andrew on for the cold shoulder he gave Ginger when he told him he preferred to dance people he could look in the eye…"

"I wasn't asking for a play by play," Aurelius said testily to Alex.

"We were talking," Andrew butted in. "Then that's when Mum and Father jumped, and a moment later, Uncle Sirius…he just started screaming and crying…and he had such a terrible look on his face."

"Yes," Alex agreed, folding her arms as if suddenly cold. "It was quite scary to see him to go wild like that for no apparent reason, and his eyes were very strange, as if he were reliving a nightmare." Aurelius turned to her then, his face growing pale.

"That's the most terrifying idea I've heard yet," Aurelius said. Alex frowned at him puzzledly. "What if it was a nightmare…a nightmare so real that he could see it…so real that he unwittingly pulled others into it as well?"

"You mean like what Ciardoth's been doing, but in reverse?" Alicia said hollowly.

"I hope you're wrong, Aurelius, because now I'm getting frightened as well," Alex admitted.

"If I am right," Aurelius said darkly, "you have reason to be."


	15. The Birds, The Bees, and Severus Snape

Chapter Fifteen

The Birds, The Bees, and Severus Snape

  Despite the thundering storms that were usually followed by a sharp temperature drop, the weather continued to stay warm and balmy.  The newspapers were anything but helpful on the subject.  The weekend _Daily Prophet_ merely reported that 'the unusual weather trend continues' while the Oracle began to blame an 'unusual cooling down of the Atlantic' was causing the Gulf Stream to veer north.

  "Oh, what would they know of such things?" Aurelius said grumpily, crumpling up the paper.  "All I know is, I'm sick of these storms keeping me up at night!  Doesn't anyone have even a clue when they'll end?"

  "You know they don't," Alex said with a sigh as they walked towards the Pitch.  "Poor Essie, I wonder what all this is doing to her confidence."

  "I wonder what all this rain is doing to the Dark Forest," Aurelius said, gazing at the swollen lake.  "I hope Pali and the herd are all right."

  "I hardly think a little soft weather would put off a herd of Unicorns," Alex said.

  "Yes, but this isn't natural.  I can feel it," Aurelius murmured, then glanced at her frowning face.  "I'm going to go have a word with Doctor Sagittari.  You'd best go on to practice.  Mandria's waiting, you know."

  "All right, but don't forget to check in with someone when you're done.  I personally don't want to hear about it from Professor Snape," Alex said with a grin.

  "Right," Aurelius said seriously.  But as it turned out, another Snape was already nearby.  Andrew, Halbert, and Shelly Meadows were hanging out in the barn, taking care of their mounts for Bridle Club.  As Aurelius was coming out of Sagitarri's Hut, he had heard Andrew's voice and went over to investigate, curious about the annoyed look on Halbert's face where he stood scooping out food for Babe.

  "Hippogriffs can be very skittish creatures, you know," Andrew explained to Shelly a few stalls away.  "They like to have things just so…here, just stay away from his neck feathers and always stroke this way, I'm sure he'll warm up to you…" he said, coming up behind her and showing her how to hold the brush.  "Just like this…there, see, a little respect and a lot of TLC go a long way."

  "I suppose…except Ginseng is a girl," Shelly said with amusement, Andrew blinking a moment as the Hippogriff cried out indignantly.

  "Um.  Sorry.  Of course I knew that," Andrew said, Halbert rolling his eyes and shaking his head as he came back around to grab a brush for himself.

  "Well!  What do we have here?" Aurelius said from where he stood by the door, Halbert waving at him absently, while Andrew took a healthy step backward, Shelly becoming absorbed in her work.  "Hullo, Andrew.  I thought you were riding Ruby again this year?"

  "Oh, I am.  I was just helping Shelly, you know, giving her a few pointers," Andrew said.

  "Really?  In what?" Aurelius asked bluntly, continuing when he saw that Andrew couldn't think up a suitable reply.  "Doctor Sagittari just agreed to take us out to the Glen to see the Unicorns after the game tomorrow, if Snape says it's alright and the game doesn't run too late, so don't make any plans," he glanced at Shelly again.

  "Sure, Rel,  I'd love to see Cody again," Andrew said.

  "For some reason I'm beginning to doubt that," Aurelius muttered under his breath as he walked away.

  Aurelius hadn't been the only one who had noticed the dramatic changes in Andrew.  Despite everything going on, Severus was true to his word and did his best to keep an eye on the son so busy testing the waters that he wasn't looking out for the riptides.  In fact, it was just before the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff game that Snape decided to wander near the Gryffindor stands.  He arrived just in time to see Ted Gaffney show up, glaring at where Andrew, Halbert, and Zack stood.  But Ted paused when a broom came down to hover near them in Hufflepuff colors. 

  "Halbert!" Ginger said.  "I got your Owl.  Still have room for tonight?"

  "Have what?" Halbert said, only to have his foot stamped on by Andrew.  "Oh, right!  Sure, of course!"

  "Good, we can talk then.  I'll tell Alicia to make sure it's a fast game," Ginger said, winking at him as she flew back to the gate.  Halbert looked at her with a dropped jaw.

  "She winked at me!  Just what did you say to her?" Halbert asked Andrew.

  "What makes you think I said anything?" Andrew shrugged, but it was obvious that Halbert didn't buy it as he raised a finger to threaten him.

  "Andrew!"  Halbert forgot what he was going to say when he saw the look on Ted Gaffney's face.  "I'd like a word, if you don't mind."

  "Should I pick one out of the dictionary?" Andrew said smoothly.

  "Just get down here!" he snapped.  Sighing, Andrew excused himself from his friends and followed him to the side of the stands.  "Just exactly what are you playing at, Snape?  Shelly tells me you invited her to the Glen tonight."

  "So?  She's a friend of mine and seemed interested in going.  Any student who wants to go and has Magical Creatures can go, you know," Andrew said.

  "Then why do I get the impression that's not the only reason she's going?  I'm only going to say this once.  Shelly is my girl, and you had better back off!"

  "I think Shelly can make up her own mind about who she wants to see and where she wants to go.  It's not for me or you or anyone else to try to make up her mind for her," Andrew said calmly.  "Besides, it's hardly fair that you come down on me because of your own insecurity when what you should be asking is why she said yes in the first place."

  Ted suddenly clamped his jaw and turned around, heading back to his seat.  As Andrew made his way back as well, Severus found himself shaking his head, knowing that even if he could think of something to say that it would hardly make a difference at this point.  In the teacher's box, Jennifer greeted him with a smile and a searching gaze that quickly turned to one of amusement as Severus took his place beside her.

  "It's official.  Growing pains are contagious," Jennifer said in a low voice.

  "Yes, wait until it gets you too," Severus murmured curtly back.  He paused as a roar went up as the teams came out, nodding to Alex and Alicia's waves as they went by before continuing.  Jennifer was busy frowning in annoyance at Alicia's Seeker robes, which her daughter had transfigured matte black except for vibrant yellow stripes.  "I think I'm going to meet with Sagittari after the game and see who is all going with them.  From the sounds of things, it may be a large group tonight."

  "Having second thoughts about letting them go?" Jennifer asked, but then turned back to the game and shouted loudly in response to Ravenclaw's throw through the lower ring.

  "They aren't safe no matter where they go," Severus said when things calmed down again.  "I merely want to make sure Sagittari brings the Spear tonight."

  Pots were still steaming and delicious smells were pouring out of Sagittari's hut when Severus arrived, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the large basket on the table.

  "I didn't want them to miss out on dinner," Sagittari explained.  "Shall I make a small basket for Jennifer?"

  "If I said no, she would probably never forgive me," Severus admitted.  Sagittari nodded knowingly, fetching another basket off his shelf.  "Which students have inquired about tonight's expedition?"

  "Your children, Mr. Hagrid and Zack Black, Miss Davidson, Miss MacKay, Mr. Gaffney, Miss Farr, Miss Grey, and Mr. Bliant," Sagittari said, pouring him some tea.

  "Bliant?" Severus squinted.  "I wasn't aware he took any sort of Creatures class.  Has he finally discarded his blame that animals are part of his mental ills?"  Sagittari had a difficult time not looking amused.

  "I assure you, psychosomatic or not, the symptoms to him are quite real," Sagittari said.  "As are their affects on his system, although I do believe he is slowly improving.  In fact, I've heard from the Headmaster that one hasn't heard him sneeze in your class since the year started."

  "That's because he knows that every time he does I make him write a fifty-inch scroll on how many ways a sneeze can kill him when facing whichever dark entity or creature we happen to be studying it when he does so," Severus said.  "Although I must admit he does his best work when he's concentrating on the consequences of his actions, even if his descriptions of his own death do get a bit graphic.  But we're getting off the subject.  Academic reason?"

  "A favor to Mr. Pyther, Severus.  His art club is studying animals at the moment and asked if I would mind if he and Phoebe joined," Sagittari explained.  "Perhaps also I may use the opportunity to teach some lore of my own people as well."

  "You have no concerns over taking them out tonight?" Severus asked softly.  Sagittari gazed at him for a long time.

  "The stars no longer speak to me, Severus," he said at last.  "But that alone is not all that is troubling.  The Dark Forest is restless from the warm weather and rain.  Rare plants and even trees which should be preparing for the winter still maintain their summer appearance, creatures normally fat in preparation for the winter are lean and their furry coats thin, and parts of the forest usually dry is turning into marsh.  Our environment has been strained by this strange pattern, and I do not believe it is completely natural nor should it go ignored for too long.  It may be hard to convince others that this is more than just a fluke of nature, but I think as December approaches they will see it is more than that."  Severus' expression darkened.

  "Perhaps sending students in there right now would be a mistake," he murmured.

  "I disagree, Severus," Sagittari said solemnly.  "There is no one better suited to finding out how this is affecting the forest as your son Aurelius is.  He is connected to the forest in some ways that even I do not fully understand."

  "I know," Severus murmured, glancing out the window at the students gathering outside.  "For some reason that doesn't make me feel any better about the situation."

  "You are in charge of security," Sagittari said as he finished packing the baskets.  "I will cancel if you think it necessary.  Perhaps the picnic will make up for it."  Severus glanced out with a sigh, watching as Aurelius, Alicia, and Andrew walked up, Alex following behind.  But it was the intense fire in Aurelius' eyes that had his attention at that moment.

  "No, but send me an Owl when you get back.  Otherwise expect me at the first crack of thunder," Severus said.

  "Agreed," Sagittari said with a serious nod as he reverently took down the Spear of Lugh and strapped it across his human back.  "I will attempt to have them back within a couple of hours.  Feel free to relax and take your time here, Severus.  Don't forget the basket.  Doctor's orders," he added with a rare smile before walking out to meet the students. 

  But as Severus paused to finish his tea, he glanced out the window again, he stopped cold when he saw that one of the students had chosen to stay behind.  And as he gazed into the face of his older daughter he nearly dropped his cup, staring at her as if seeing her for the very first time.

  Perhaps Alex would have been able to have snuck away if it hadn't been for Andrew, who was one of the first out on the pitch after the game.  Most of them had gone over to congratulate Alicia on another good game, but Andrew was beaming at his other sister.

  "Five goals, Alex, you were absolutely smashing tonight!" Andrew said.

  "He's right, this was the best game we've had in a while, even if we did lose," Mandria admitted with a shrug. 

  "Absolutely right!  We're going to give Gryffindor a run for the money this year," Ralph taunted.

  "We'll see, we'll see," Andrew said with a smile, pulling Alex away.  "Halbert went to find everyone going tonight…hey, you'd better go change!  We're meeting in a half an hour."

  "Actually, I was thinking of staying here, Andrew.  You know, Defense test coming up and all that," Alex said. 

  "Come on, Alex!" Andrew said with a grin.  But Alex didn't turn right away, feeling a tinge of regret inside.  "What's wrong?  You're coming with us to see the Unicorns, right?"

  "I'd rather study so Aurelius has no reason to mock me over my marks," Alex shrugged.

  "Really, Alex, it's hardly like we get many chances to do this during the year.  Besides, Rel is coming too, so it's not like he has an advantage.  No, stop that, come on," Andrew protested.  "Look, Alicia's already managed to get away.  Better hurry, you know how Aurelius doesn't like to wait."

  "I'll catch up," Alex promised.

  "It's all right, I'll wait," Andrew said, waving Halbert on from a distance.

 Alex went inside, wondering how she was going to get out of this.  She could just go, she mused, then shook her head, knowing that wasn't a good idea.  Reluctantly she joined Andrew outside and walked over to where Alicia sat on the fence of the pens.  Aurelius was pacing anxiously nearby while most of their friends were inside visiting the mounts.  Morfinn had brought his camera, and was busy taking photos of some of the creatures while staying as far away from them as possible.  Alex coughed experimentally.  Well, it had been quite damp, after all, maybe she could sham a cold.  But when she saw Sagittari step out the door, she knew instantly that she wouldn't be able to use that excuse in front of the wise doctor.

  "Is everyone ready?  You all have your wands, potion kits, lanterns, cloaks?" he asked.

  "I knew I forgot something," Alex said quickly.  "My wand.  I didn't bring it with me, Quidditch you know.  I should probably stay."

  "I don't see why you even bothered to come in the first place!  You _knew_ you weren't going!  Come on, Andrew," Aurelius said impatiently.  "Let her stay if she wants to.  Let's go, the doctor's ready to leave."

  "Don't you want to see Esta, Alex?" Alicia asked with a frown as she stepped off the fence.

  "I just don't feel up to it tonight, that's all.  Tell her…tell her I'm fine and we're still friends and all that," Alex said.

  "Well, of course!  Why wouldn't you be?" Alicia stared at her.  But Andrew was frowning, looking at his older sister carefully.

  "Don't worry about it, Alicia, let's just go," Aurelius said briskly as Sagittari waited for them to line up in pairs.  "I'll talk to Esta, Alex."

  Alex leaned on the fence and waved distractedly at her siblings as they went to join the centaur, watching as they walked into the Dark Forest together.  As they disappeared into the trees, Alex let out a long sigh and sunk her chin down to her folded arms.

  "Not going, I see," said a voice so close that she flinched, somehow keeping her head down.  Severus leaned on the fence beside her, looking straight ahead expressionlessly.

  "No, I decided at the last minute that I have too much studying to do.  Besides, I wasn't really feeling up to it," Alex explained.

  "I see," Severus said evenly.  "What's his name?"

  Alex didn't say anything for a long moment.  She knew her father well enough to know that denial was not going to be a viable way out of the situation.

  "Is it the father or the professor asking?" Alex asked in a low voice.

  "Well, I suppose that would depend on which of those you are willing to tell," Severus mused.  "Either way, might I suggest we take this to my office?"

  Grimacing slightly, Alex nodded and the two of them walked back in silence with Alex lost in her own thoughts and Severus content with leaving her to them.  At last he opened the door and Alex stepped in, looking suspiciously at the painting of her mother on the wall, who was peering back at her curiously.

  "You're not going to tell Mum about this, are you?" Alex said anxiously.  Pausing momentarily to gaze at her, Severus closed the door.

  "I can't see why you would have any reason to keep it from her, not a reason I would find worth putting myself in that uncomfortable position at any rate," Severus said as he sat at his desk and gestured to a chair.

  "Even if it happened to be a Muggle?" Alex blurted out.  Severus stared at her for a long time.

  "Very well, so you have a viable reason," Severus said irritably, drumming his fingers on the desk.  "How long have you known him?"

  "All my life," Alex admitted, the finger drumming immediately stopping.  "But I didn't start seeing him till early summer."

  "So that would mean it's the Clemmons boy," Severus said with certainty holding his head up with his arm.

  "I really didn't mean for this to happen.  I mean…I didn't know where he was, and then he just showed up out of nowhere.  You know we've always been friends and just friends and then all the sudden…well, Father, I'm hardly a child anymore, this is my last year and I'm almost eighteen and…"

  "Spare me the speech, Alex, please.  You could be thirty and still the idea that my firstborn daughter was more than 'just friends' with any one would hit me like a thrown brick.  Although, now that you have mentioned it, I would have preferred that you were well out of school and married before things had gotten this far…"

  "Did you and Mum wait until after you were married?" Alex asked daringly.

  "Are you using any sort of protection?" Severus asked sternly.

  "Are you going to answer my question?" Alex asked.

  "Mine first," Severus growled warningly.  Alex sighed.  "Where are you getting your potions at?"

  "Actually, we haven't been using potions.  We've been using a combination of Muggle methods.  You know, pills and…well…maybe I have one in my chest cloak…" Alex murmured, digging in her pockets.

  "Enough!  I've heard enough!  Take a couple of bottles of Oat's Bane off my shelf, not that you'll have an opportunity to see him at any time before the holidays, but you'll find I always have a supply of it in here," Severus said, gesturing to his shelves.  Alex got up and picked up one of the bottles thoughtfully.

  "Why do you even have these?  I mean, I know you don't need it any more, right?"

  "You'll find that there are several professors that keep it on hand, including all the advisors.  It's been a part of school policy since an incident that occurred when I was going to school after a student became pregnant…rather nasty scandal, or would have been had been had everyone not been concentrating on Voldemort," Severus said.

  "Was it Rolanda Archibald?"

  "Kindly concern yourself with you own affairs," Severus frowned at her.  "Suffice it to say it's there if you require it, just…do it when I'm not in my office so I don't have the opportunity to figure out how many you personally are taking," he said, waving her off as if dismissing her.  "I need some time to figure out how to break this to your mother so we'll talk about this again later when I've come up with some sort of plan.  Now, if you don't mind?"

  "You still didn't answer my question, though," Alex said as he made a play at pulling out some papers to mark.

  "I never implied that I would," Severus said.

  "Yes you did.  You said, 'you first' which normally implies that you will answer afterwards," Alex said, folding her arms.  "I suppose since you're reluctant to say anything to me that you didn't wait, did you?"

  "It was hardly the same circumstances," Severus snapped, frowning at his persistent daughter and glancing at his ring, which was gravitating towards a peaceful soft blue.  Finally after weighing the fact that his relationship with his daughter was going to change no matter what he said at this point, he sighed in resignation.  It was better than her going to someone else.  "Your mother and I had made the decision not to marry until Voldemort was destroyed.  We knew it might have become a long term engagement, and I'll have you know we had been engaged for some time.  But, these rings of ours turned out to be…well, I got them hoping that we would come to understand each other better and also so we could avoid each other's bad moods from time to time.  However, we also soon discovered that it also clued us in to when the other was feeling unusually…" he paused thoughtfully.

  "Aroused?" Alex egged on.

  "Affectionate," Severus said, squinting at the grin on Alex's face.  "We did our best to ignore it, of course, realizing it couldn't be helped…no one is in control of their emotions all of the time.  But after one interminably long weekend which we spent having to drag several students out of a trap they had gotten themselves into down in…well, somewhere no student is allowed to go… we ended up getting ourselves in a predicament of our own.  I found, later that evening, that I couldn't shake dwelling over the whole situation we had faced down there... and then I made the mistake of looking at my ring and understood she was having the same problem.  Before I knew it, there was a knock on the door.  So we discussed the matter.  Responsibly.  And really, that's all you need to know and perhaps more than you needed to know.  So if you don't mind, unless you have something else you plan to torture me further by way of another confession or asking me something else horrifically personal to satisfy that sadistic Craw side of yours, I suggest you leave me alone to recover from all of this!"

  "The Craw side, that's the crux, isn't it, though?" Alex said with a sigh, but got up and tucked the potions away in her cloak.  "The only Craw known to have married a Muggle got disowned."

  "I hardly think your grandfather would disown you," Severus said, glancing over the paper in front of him.

  "I notice you didn't mention Mum," Alex said, walking to the door.

  "You're hardly going to get disowned from this family either," Severus said firmly.  "And I will deal with your mother on this issue.  However, I don't think you need to be concerned with what she thinks.  Really, when it comes down to it, it hardly matters what either of us think once you're out of school this year, does it?  You'll do what you like whether we approve or not.  She'll come around," he added in a more gentle tone.

  "Hopefully faster than she's coming around over the Fleur issue," Alex joked lightly, walking to the door.  "Thanks, I guess you're not so bad of a parent after all," she said wickedly, ignoring the dirty look he gave her before he turned back to his work.  "You're a better teacher, though," she couldn't help but add as she left, closing the door behind her.

  Severus let the quill fall out of his hand and stared across the room, eyeing his cabinet.  His will already drained, and with the first true resolution he made for himself since the whole situation started, Severus decided to make himself a stiff drink.


	16. Slytherin's Other Secret

Chapter Sixteen

Slytherin's Other Secret

  The rain came in very late that night.

  Severus woke up early, partially restless of the storm, and partially because of how much was on his mind, slipping out of bed and down to his office before his wife had even begun to stir.  He had his complete agenda for that spare hour all thought out; a barrage of letters to send out on subjects from the very personal to the very professional and every matter in between.  But when he paused to turn a cup over on his breakfast tray, he noticed a note there, and after a quick glance he groaned softly to himself and shook his head.  Putting the cup back upside down again, Severus reluctantly started up the stairs to Dumbledore's study. 

  The Headmaster's smile was so warm when Severus came in that Severus felt all the more apologetic, especially when Albus stood and offered him a chair, not hearing a word about anything until Severus accepted a teacup.

  "So!" Albus said at last when he was convinced they were settled, "I believe you were about to tell me why you missed our meeting after dinner last night."

  "I deeply apologize, Headmaster, but a certain student matter came up that I thought best to address as soon as possible," Severus said carefully.

  "Of course I understand, Severus.  Student matters do come up and should be taken as a priority, but you really ought to have thought to drop me an Owl," Albus chided him.

  "So I should have," Severus agreed sheepishly.  "To be perfectly honest, the fact that I was supposed to meet with you slipped my mind."

  "Really?  That isn't like you," Albus mused.  "But no matter.  You're here now, and I really would like an update on your arguments to add Divination as a requirement, considering the meeting is at the end of next week."

  "End of next week?" Severus repeated, Albus raising his brows at the surprise in his voice.  "Sir, with everything going on, can't it wait until next month's meeting?"

  "Hermione must have time to reschedule students if the board agrees with our recommendations," Albus reminded him.  "And I'm sure considering the circumstances, you know that waiting may jeopardize school safety, and that's something I'm sure neither one of us wants to do."  Reluctantly, Severus nodded.

  "Very well, I did make some headway on it before Halloween…"

  "Good, I'm sure it'll be fine.  By the way, how is the follow up on your Flux research coming?"

   Severus stared at him.

  "You must be joking."

   "Now, Severus, I did warn you not to get too involved in affairs outside the school this year.  But then, I've told you that nearly every year lately, not that you have listened.  Besides, didn't I give you an appointment book for Christmas last year?" Albus sighed.

  "Yes, so you did.  However, after attempting to work with it last year I found it completely…unworkable," Severus said irritably.  "It had someone bothering me every waking moment, and when the trouble came up with Jennifer last year…well, I might have intentionally let it fall off the desk into the trash bin, if you must know."

  "Yes, that might explain why one of the House Elves brought it to me at the end of the year," Albus said calmly, drawing it out of a drawer and setting it on the edge of the desk in front of him.  "Care to have another go at it?"

  "Considering you know what my answer would be if given a choice, I will assume that was a rhetorical question," Severus said dryly, reluctantly taking it.

  "Thank you," Albus smiled.  "It really will help you to get organized if you let it.  Just remember to always make sure you schedule some free time…use force if you have to," he added mischievously.  "For I'm sure as long as you do that you will not resent it so."  Severus gazed at it dubiously, deciding it would be best just to say silent.  "Now, I really think with all the board trouble we've been having that you really need to get that Flux research done, perhaps a rough draft before the holiday…at the very latest the day you return.  But I don't want you to overpressure yourself with everything going on either.  To that end, I think you should make a point to plan going to the Hogsmeade trip this weekend.  I'm sure Jennifer would be more than happy to chaperone if you do not," he added with amusement.

  "I'll try to work it in," Severus said sarcastically as he got up.  Albus nodded to him with a smile as he left then glanced up at the portrait of Caprica Dusthorn who looked even more amused than normal. 

    It was quite typical for Professor Snape to schedule a test before a Hogsmeade trip, gently hinting as he often did that students who didn't do well would spend their weekend writing a paper on what they did wrong.  So Monday evening, Halbert, Stock, and the four Snapes gathered in the library, supposedly to study.  Alicia, who had gotten there first, had her nose in a novel, while Andrew was busy helping Halbert memorize a list of curses and their countercurses.  Alex, who had been sitting with Mandria and some of her other classmates while waiting for the others got up when Aurelius and Stock arrived, coming over to their table.

  "What is that?  Is that a paperback?" Aurelius said with obvious distaste when he saw the book in Alicia's hand.

  "It's for Muggle Studies," Alicia said evenly.

  "Alicia, you do know that book is fiction, right?" Alex sighed.  Alicia frowned at her.

  "No it's not.  It's about DaVinci…you see…"

  "No, Alicia, look at the binding, it's fiction.  The author was just making suppositions about a code based on history to make a thrilling story," Alex explained.  Alicia flipped the book over, staring at it.

  "But this is the first thing that's made any sense to me since I started this paper!" Alicia protested in frustration.  "Well, I know at least that movie we saw at Zoë's about him helping that princess was true…" she paused when she saw Alex's wincing face and shaking her head.  "But the old woman _said_ it was true!"

  "Honestly, Alicia, you know better than to trust that rubbish," Aurelius sighed at her, sitting down by Stock.  "She is so naïve!"

  "Well, I admit I don't understand why anyone would use a person who really existed in a made-up story," Alicia said, reddening slightly.  "I certainly wouldn't want people making up stories about me, even after I've been gone for centuries."

  "I can see it now, Alicia Snape and the Cursed Paintbrush," Stock joked.

  "It's all right, Alicia, I'll help you get some real books," Alex promised, sitting down.  "But first I was wondering how the search for the coin was going."

  "Well, Janus seemed to think she might have passed it on to someone at some point," Alicia said.  "But he can't say for sure when…I mean, if it happened before he left for the island or not…he was too preoccupied with trying to find out where the Cauldron was."

  "Well, if she did pass it on, she wouldn't pass it on to just anyone.  It'd have to be someone she was close to," Aurelius said.

  "All I know is it wasn't Caprica," Alicia said.  "And she did say she thought it was in the castle.  If it did get passed on to someone, wouldn't they have taken it with them?"

  "But how can a painting really be sure it is here," Aurelius said.  "I get the feeling there's something she's not telling us.  Still, I guess it wouldn't be all that hard to believe that someone already in the castle might hide it here.  Andrew, what are the chances of you getting a hold of certain old school documents?"

  "Rather good, I should think," Andrew nodded, Halbert and Stock glancing at each other thoughtfully.

  "Alicia, are there any books in the Hufflepuff common rooms, you know, personal history of the house, that sort of thing?"

  "I've never looked, honestly," Alicia said.

  "Well, then we have work to do, don't we?" Aurelius said.  "The rest of us will come up with a game plan for searching the castle in case we don't have any clear leads."  Alex nodded distractedly, her mind somewhere else.  What it was she was thinking she didn't bring up; and she completely missed the way Aurelius was gazing at her.

  It took Alex nearly an hour to figure out where they had hidden the entrance now, but a few well-placed compliments to Moaning Myrtle finally led her to the wall behind a stall marked 'Out of order.'  The sound of water dripping was all around her, and she found herself wondering what all the added rain was doing to the cistern and other areas below the lake level.  Putting her worries aside, she concentrated on what she was doing, pushing down a rocky corridor which had been deftly cleared and widened the very year she had first come to Hogwarts.  It was that year her mind was thinking of now; and what had driven her down into the depths of the castle to search for the answer to a mystery she had all but forgotten until now. 

  But her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a large heavy door in front of her sealed with a snake crest, shut tight.  She stared at it a moment, realizing she had forgotten all about that particular detail.  Last time she had gone to the Chamber of Secrets, it had been through the closet and there had been no need to pass through here.  In Corey's case, her father's familiar Rasputin had gone as well; but she knew there was no way she would be able to get him now.  But perhaps it wouldn't matter, she mused.  Perhaps being an Omnivox was enough.

  "Open up!" Alex ordered the snakes, but the door stayed shut.  "Open up, please?" she said, then mused.  "Open up, or else!"  Again, nothing.  Alex groaned.  "Well, aren't I a proper idiot for coming down then?" she muttered to herself.

  "You can say that again," said a voice behind her, and she whirled around to see Aurelius standing there with his arms folded, staring accusingly at her.  "Alex, what the hell are you doing down here?"

  "Me?  What about you?" Alex glared at him.

  "I caught a brief glimpse of you thinking about this place when we were studying, so I figured I should keep an eye on you.  And I've got to say, for someone who professes to be an adult now this is rather an immature stunt to pull!  Especially since we're never supposed to go anywhere alone…not to mention into an area you know is full of traps…."

  "I know, I know, but I didn't want to get anyone else into trouble on my account," Alex said.  "I am sorry, but there was something I had to check out, and really, I don't want you getting into trouble over me either.  Can't you just forget you saw me?"

  "Answer me this, Alexandria.  If I do that, and we just go up and go back to bed like we should, you're probably going to come back down here again tomorrow night and try again with an agreeable familiar, aren't you?"

  "Well, yes, because there's something in there that I need to find out…something that might just be related to where the coin went," Alex said.  "Look, why don't you be a good sport and let me borrow Achilles so I can get this over with, and then I'll meet with all of you in the morning and tell you if I found anything."

  "While I appreciate your concern for not wanting to get anyone else in trouble for your own stupidity, I can't very well have you traipsing about in the middle of a cursed area without having a spotter.  There is no way I am going to put myself in a position where I have to explain to our parents why your body parts are splayed all over a place you shouldn't have been in to begin with!" Aurelius snapped.

  "And just how do you plan to stop me, then?" Alex challenged him, a dangerous spark in her black eyes as she felt for her wand.

  "I'm going to turn you into stone and leave you out to be a birdfeeder for the courtyard," Aurelius said sarcastically.  "Come on, let's just get this over with before anyone finds out we're down here!"  Alex gazed at him in surprise as Aurelius let out a hiss and the door slowly slid open.  "Get busy explaining to me why we're here…and it had better be good."

  As Aurelius listened to Alex recount what had happened the night she, Mandria, and Rose had been there and the strange room with the rubble-filled entrance, Aurelius felt a strange creeping sensation up his spine.  In fact, the entire area made his skin tingle, growing stronger as they walked into the Chamber and he caught sight of the imposing statue of Salazar at the far end.

  "It's over here behind one of these two serpents, I think," Alex said, and Aurelius looked over at the statues she was pointing to.

  "Achilles, why don't you see what you can do with it?" Aurelius said, unwrapping his familiar from his arm.  But it wasn't long after the grass snake disappeared that he hissed.

  "It is sealed in some way," Achilles said.  "I cannot pass it." 

  "Show me," Aurelius said, poking his head in the snake statue's mouth.  "There's a strange little latch here with an eye, but it seems to be jammed open with something.  But it's covered by a wizard's ward…Father's."  Alex winced when Aurelius appeared again, leaning on the statue thoughtfully.

  "Think we can dispel it, just the two of us?" Alex asked after a moment.

  "Perhaps, but I'm not sure we can do it without him knowing it.  From the way it's woven it looks like it has some sort of personal charm on it to tell him when it's broken," Aurelius said.

  "Well, maybe he'll be too deeply asleep to notice," Alex suggested hopefully.

  "And if he isn't, we will be roasted and I will have to suffer the consequences of what Eigil Hauk is going to do when he finds out I've lost the house a thousand points," Aurelius growled.

  "You didn't have to come, you know," Alex said coolly.  But Aurelius sighed.

  "Yes, I did," Aurelius said, getting out his wand.  "Let's just hope this isn't all for nothing.  Come on, I'm going to need your help."  Alex nodded and took his hand as he cast the sync spell and the counterspell, jumping in response to the rumbling sound of the door opening, the jaw sliding forward. 

  "Did we do it?  It didn't go off?" Alex asked anxiously.

  "Hard to say," Aurelius shrugged.  "Let's take a look.  Keep your wand out," he added as he stepped in.  The moment he cast a light spell, he saw what Alex had told him about.  A severe chill went down him as he stepped around the shackled skeleton, careful not to step upon the marks on the floor despite the fact there were counter curse marks on top of it.  The only other things in the room were a bare bookshelf and an ancient desk, its drawers open and emptied.

  "There he is, poor chap," Alex said with a sigh as she pulled out a book.  "To be perfectly honest, I'd forgotten all about him over the years, but all the talk we've been doing about people that lived back when the founders lived reminded me of him.  I have the spell to speak to the dead right here.  We need to find out who he was, why Slytherin was after him, and if he's connected to all of this…and I have a hunch that he is."

  "But why would Dumbledore leave him here instead of given him a proper burial?" Aurelius murmured, glancing at the shackles, then at Alex.  "Wait before casting that spell, Alex… we should probably run some checks for curses first."

  "Curses don't usually last after death, do they?" Alex said, but paused anyhow, waiting curiously as Aurelius got out his wand.

  "Perhaps, but the spirit can be still be malicious," Aurelius whispered quietly.  "I don't trust this."

  Cautiously, Aurelius began murmuring some spells, completely unsurprised when dark halos appeared around the shackles themselves.  Squinting suspiciously, he crouched to see them better.  Glancing back at Alex, who nodded, he slipped on his gloves and carefully turned over the shackle on one of the arms, half afraid the arm itself would break off.  His gloves brushed against what he now saw was a layer of tarnish; underneath was silver with strangely complex embossing gilt in gold; something no one would ever expect in a common set of shackles.  It was then he spied the lock, completely taken aback when he recognized it and stood straight up so suddenly that Alex motioned as if to cast a protective spell around him.  But Aurelius held up his hand, meeting her gaze with a haunted expression.

  "The shackles are definitely cursed, and from the workmanship and the aura I think it's quite complicated."

  "Perhaps that's why Dumbledore left it," Alex said.

  "Maybe," Aurelius admitted.  "And maybe it was left for me to do."

  "What do you mean?  Left for you to do what?" Alex said with confusion.

  "Have you ever had the feeling that you were somehow wrapped up in Fate and saw it unfolding in front of you even as you found yourself doing it?" he asked, and she nodded slowly.  "Well, that's rather how I feel right this moment, Alex, because I know where the key to these shackles are."

  "What?" Alex said with surprise, and watch wide-eyed as Aurelius pulled a key out of his pocket.  "How in blazes did you get that?"

  "Lucius Malfoy gave it to me," Aurelius said, "years ago."  Alex gazed at him hard, but couldn't bring herself to say anything.  "He told me at the time that it was a key that could bring fantastic power for those loyal to Slytherin, but if anyone else tried it, it'd mean uncertain doom.  I guess I don't have to tell you who must have given it to him."

  "Then Voldemort's been in here," Alex said, her voice lowered as well.

  "I don't think there's any doubt of that," Aurelius said, noting some writing on the walls.  "But if that's so, and he had the key, why didn't he unshackle him?  No, there would be danger in that, no mistake…but they also should keep the spirit of this guy from getting out of hand.  Perhaps you should go ahead and cast that spell and see what we can find out."

  "Are you sure?" Alex said, raising her wand again.

  "No," Aurelius admitted.  "But I think it's a better plan than releasing it.  Go ahead, I'll cover…and let's make a pact right now not to trust anything he says."

  "Right," Alex agreed, and began intoning the chant in her book, a glow beginning to spread over the skeleton like a thick, oozing liquid.  When the glow finally encompassed it, Aurelius heard a whispering voice, but didn't recognize any of the words spoken.  "Who are you?" Alex asked, and Aurelius immediately reached for his potion wallet for a translation potion.  "Aurelius, it was a Professor!  He says his name was Cupbert Wuscfrea, Professor of Spell Creation.  I say, we could really use a class like that…"

  "Half a moment!" Aurelius growled as he swallowed down the potion and waited for it to work.  The hollow eyes of the skeleton seemed very strangely expressive, gazing almost suspiciously at Aurelius.

  "Why are you here?  What happened to you?" Alex asked.

  "Torture…and treachery," the skeleton whispered.  "But though he did not relent, I did not reveal.  You of Slytherin's cloth, release me so my suffering will end!"

  "What didn't you reveal?" Aurelius asked.

  "If I would not reveal it to him, what makes you think I would reveal it to you?" the skeleton said with genuine bitterness and hatred.  "What power could you have that Slytherin did not?"

  "I can name one, actually," Aurelius said evenly.  "Apparently, this man was the one who hid the Cauldron on the Westernmost Isle."

  "But I thought Icarus Ravenclaw did that?" Alex said, but Aurelius shook his head.

  "No, he merely stole it and gave it to his mother.  Someone else hid it.  But how did you possibly get it there without getting caught by the Fomorian storms?"

  "I see you know much all ready," the skeleton said, seeming even darker than before.

  "We are friends of the Professor," Alex explained.  "He is a ghost in this castle."

   "I must speak with him!  Free me, so I may do so!" he demanded, turning his head towards Aurelius again.  "The safety of the Cauldron is at stake!"

  "I think it'd probably be safer to bring him down here," Aurelius decided.  "But you need not worry about the Cauldron, Professor.  It is back in the castle in the proper hands."

  "Then my deed is done, young Slytherin, and there is no need to further keep me here," the skeleton pressed.

  "That might be, but you're just going to have to wait a little while longer until I find out more about this.  Come on, Alex," Aurelius said.  "Dispel the thing and let's get out of here."

  "Wait!  I haven't asked him about the coin yet!" Alex protested, turning to the skeleton again.  "We're looking for Hufflepuff's obol.  Do you happen to know anything about it?"

  "Yes, I know it all too well," the skeleton said, the bitterness in his voice even greater than before.  "It was the Coin of Indecision that sealed my fate…to work against the evil growing within this school.  It is a very powerful Oracle…a symbol of chance that questions chance and gives answers of the future to those who seek it.  It was that coin that in some ways led me to this very room and condemned me to serve the very man I attempted to defy."

  "The Coin of Indecision?" Alex said with interest.  "Did you happen to have it on you when you were captured?"

  "I was not captured, I was led," the skeleton said.  "And yes, it fell into his hands."

  "How exactly was it that you served him?" Aurelius asked sharply.

  "Unwillingly!" the skeleton shrieked with such horrible despair that both of them took a step backward.  "Free, me, I beg you, I can have no more done to me!  My powers have been stripped from me, stripped from a soul raw from centuries of torment!  Help me escape these cursed shackles that have taken all that I am!"  Just then, the shackles around his arms began to glow at an alarming rate, growing brighter and brighter white.

  "End the spell, quick!" Aurelius begged as it grew blinding.

  "I did already!  I think it's the shackles!" Alex barked back.

  "Damn it!" Aurelius growled and launched himself forward, flailing his hands from the light as he felt for the bindings and called the key out of his cloak.  Fumbling in panic, it seemed to take him an interminably long time to get the key into the lock, and when he finally turned it with a loud **snap,** a scream echoed in his mind. 

  But around him was darkness, although his eyes were wide open, and he felt almost as if he were floating…attached to something which was keeping him from roaming free.

  "So, this is the one who would deem himself worthy of the power I have gathered," said a dark voice that reminded him strangely of his grandfather.  "How dare you even suggest it?  You are not loyal of Slytherin, Parselmouth or no."

  "I am loyal to the Slytherin House," Aurelius said proudly.  "I am its Prefect, and I do everything in the best interests of my fellow housemates."

  "Your job, Prefect, is to make sure that the house doesn't forget _my_ ideals," said the menacing voice.  "Not to promote your own!"

  "Times have changed, sir," Aurelius said guardedly.  "A thousand years have passed, but most of the traditions are still honored.  Slytherin House has come to look after its own interests, instead of a mere individual."

  "I see," said the voice of Slytherin.  "Just as clearly as I see that you are anything but in the Houses' best interests.  Treachery is in your eyes, weakness in your heart, and you are anything but loyal to me!   So be it!  Share the fate of my enemy!  Your own magic power will match well, I think, with that of this fool!  Perhaps this will teach the house what happens to those who defy our true cause…to one day allow our kind to be the true rulers of this world!"

   "Stop!"  A woman's voice hissed, causing another chill to surge through Aurelius.  He knew the voice but he wasn't sure how…it was a voice that existed in the whisper of the trees in the Dark Forest; a voice that called to him in his dreams as surely as Pali called to him.  In the darkness an iridescent appeared in the form of a giant snake that encircled him, its strangely regal face and slit eyes gazing into the darkness.  "You may not harm him!  I chose to spare him as I did you, and you may not, even now, touch him!"

  "He is in my domain, not yours, Brigid," the voice snarled.  "And it was his own choice to follow my path!"

  "He was not spared to follow your path, Salazar, but to answer for it," the Snake said.

  "That may be," the voice hissed.  "But I shall indeed get in the final word!"

  Before Aurelius knew it, he was in the middle of a battle between the Snake and a force he couldn't see, a battle that seemed to be ripping his spirit apart…a battle over his soul.  A wail erupted inside him that he couldn't control, and a fear gripped him that he couldn't quite understand…a panic to get out of this strange surreal arena and back to where he belonged.

  It was then he heard an unfamiliar voice somewhere in the distance, followed by one he recognized immediately.

  "It's his soul!" Anna shouted at them angrily.  "It belongs to no one but him!"

  Suddenly alert, he called out to his aunt and saw a pair of strange glowing lights below him.  A moment later, a warm hand grabbed his arm and he felt himself jerked back into the land of the living…immediately realizing as he had come to he had been trapped within the same cursed spell that had held the Professor's soul in place for so long.  But now the shackles were open on the floor, the key still in them, and the skeleton in a pile before them.  Sitting beside him looking quite shaken was Alex, a deep relief sweeping over her when he opened his eyes,.

  "He's all right!  He's awake now," Alex said, glancing over at where Anna knelt, looking incredibly pale.

  "Aunt Anna!" Aurelius said at last, frowning at her in confusion.  "What are you doing here?"

  "You have some nerve asking me that after what you two just put me through!" Anna snapped at him, feeling his hand.

  "It was my fault, Aunt Anna, please don't yell at him," Alex said.  "He simply followed me down here afraid I was going to get in trouble…"

  "Well, he should have told someone instead, and you should know better!" Anna snapped.

  "Are you going to tell Father?" Alex asked as Anna helped Aurelius to sit up.

  "No, you are going to tell him!  The two of you shouldn't have been down here!  In fact, after we get Aurelius to the hospital wing, you and I are going to march straight up there!"

  "No need," Severus said as he stepped in the door.  Aurelius took one look at him and decided to lay down again.


	17. Shattered

Chapter Seventeen

Shattered

By the time they met in Dumbledore's Study the next morning, Severus had a few hours of sleep and plenty of time to cool down. Jennifer, however, hadn't found out about what had happened until she awoke that morning and was still furious when they arrived, ignoring Dumbledore's greeting and walking over to Alexandria and Aurelius shaking her head.

"I can't believe the two of you would do something like this! Especially you, Alexandria, after all your pleas to be treated like an adult and to take responsibility…to do something so completely childish and foolhardy…"

"What do you expect me to do, Mother? I can't exactly grow out of being a Snape, can I?" Alex said evenly.

"I expect you to use your head instead of getting in over your head!"

"And yet if you were in my position, you probably would have done the exact same thing!"

"I most certainly would not have! At the very least I would have sense to have told your father instead of trying to tackle it on my own!"

"Well, Mother, it would have been the first time!" Alexandria said. A sudden triumphant satisfaction crossed her face when she noted her mother's reaction to that.

"Jennifer, please! Alexandria, I do believe you made your point, please do be good enough and sit down, this study is not a war zone," Albus said firmly despite the amused twinkle he had thrown in Alex's direction. Jennifer hadn't missed the twitch across Severus' lip either, glaring at him ferociously until his face resumed its normal expressionless gaze. "Jennifer, as I'm sure Severus told you, the punishment part of this was settled last night. We are here today merely to make sense of what occurred. So please, help yourself to a pasty and do try to relax while we wait for Anna. I wonder what's keeping her," he added in a murmur, a worried expression crossing his face if only for an instant. But just before he became tempted to open up his side drawer, Anna arrived looking quiet tired, smiling wanly at them.

"Sorry. Wanted to make sure Sirius got off to work all right," Anna said.

"He can't manage that on his own?" Severus inquired, but Anna pointedly ignored him and sat down, Jennifer frowning at her expression.

"Thank you for coming," Albus said. "Well! I suppose we'll just cut to the matter at hand, since I've been assured everyone involved has already agreed to take responsibility for their actions," he said mischievously, Alex and Aurelius looking solemnly back at him. "Who would like to start? Alexandria?"

"Yes, Professor," Alexandria nodded. "I suppose it all started when the four of us began on this little, well, quest, for a particular artifact that was rumored by someone we know to be missing and yet somewhere in the castle."

"More detail, if you don't mind?" Severus said in annoyance after glancing at Jennifer, who had shrugged.

"I seriously don't think it's to our benefit to try and protect a painting," Aurelius said to his sister. Severus and Albus immediately squinted, glancing at an empty frame. "Professor Dusthorn was the one who started all this when she told Alicia about Hufflepuff's obol…the Coin of Indecision," Aurelius said.

"Wait a minute!" Anna said in such an angry tone that everyone gazed at her. "You mean she sent you down there too? I don't believe it! Putting two students in danger like that…"

"Too, what do you mean, too?" Severus frowned.

"I have been talking with her since school began about the fact that one of the first teachers in this school was an Aethermage who disappeared mysteriously," Anna said. "I knew I was getting baited with it, but I admit the more I looked into it, the more curious I got. Then Icarus decided to come out of that locked room of his yesterday as I was finishing up to go home and happened to 'casually' mention that Cupbert had been a good friend of his and he had last seen him talking with Slytherin. So I decided to investigate… only to find these two already in the Chamber."

"How fortunate it was then that Icarus just happened by to tell you this just when Alex and Aurelius were venturing where they weren't supposed to be," Severus said, his eyes flashing. "Quite convenient, don't you think so, Professor?"

"Yes, it seems to me we are short at least two entities this meeting, if not four," Albus said, a flash in his eyes as he gazed over at Dusthorn's empty frame again. "And I shall, rest assured, deal with that later."

"As will I, for I think there are at least four individuals I need to speak with about taking advice from paintings," Severus said dangerously.

"Caprica has a way of enticing people, Severus, adults as well as students. She's hardly a normal painting, if you consider any of the paintings here normal," Anna put in defensively. "There have been times when she's gotten your and Jennifer's interest too, and you know it!" Jennifer looked uncomfortable.

"Can we just get back on the subject?" Aurelius snapped with such a strange tone in his voice that everyone stopped to stare at him.

"Yes, Aurelius is quite right, this is not the time for blame. Alexandria, I believe you said that your involvement in this concerned the coin?" Albus said.

"Yes. Have you heard of it?" Alex asked daringly.

"There are quite a number of legends written about it, yes," Albus said. "I have never looked for it personally, for I really have little need for such a thing, being quite decisive myself. But please, continue."

"Well, we were in the library studying, and talking about how Hufflepuff might have given it to someone and about needing to know more about who she was around and all, when I remembered the skeleton that Rose, Mandria and I saw in the chamber. I began to wonder about who it was and why he was still there, so I decided to try and talk to him using a speak to the dead incantation I…well, might have accidentally run across from one of mother's books," she admitted, shrinking a bit when she saw her glare. "I went alone. I didn't want to get anyone else in trouble for going down there. But I guess Aurelius must have saw my intentions and followed me, and I guess it's just as well he did, as things came about. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't had that key."

"Key? Goodness, he had the key?" Albus said with unmasked surprise, staring at Severus.

"Believe me, I was no less surprised than you were when I saw it," Severus said, frowning at his son. "Apparently, Aurelius failed to mention to me that Malfoy had given it to him. You do realize now, I assume, that it was left there for a reason."

"I expect because the shackles were quite dangerous," Alex said, glancing at Aurelius. "The spirit seemed to be interested in Rel when we spoke to him, and then all the sudden the shackles began to glow…and then Rel collapsed."

"I didn't collapse," Aurelius said with irritation. "I was imprisoned in the shackles until Aunt Anna managed to get me out." Albus studied him thoughtfully.

"It was reflexive, I don't know how I did it," Anna murmured. "When I came in, it looked to me as if his soul was in the skeleton along with the man who was first imprisoned. I was afraid he'd get stuck there if I didn't act, and I knew touching the shackles was a bad idea to finish turning it so I…well, forced it open and pulled them out.

"You pulled both of them out?" Albus said, turning his gaze to Anna then. "What happened to the other man?"

"I don't know…he just seemed to dissipate and yet…he seemed benevolent; grateful, and apologetic…but those shackles are another story. They're extremely evil," Anna said.

"I agree," Aurelius said with a nod. "Slytherin was using them to drain the Aethermage of his powers so he could use him for himself, and I'd say he used that power at least once before his end, because he left behind an echo of his presence behind." Severus stood up in alarm and gazed at him with a gaze nearly intense as Jennifer's, who had turned deadly pale. Even Albus Dumbledore's face had turned quite dark, deep lines appearing on his forehead.

"Aurelius, was his the only presence you felt when this happened?" Albus asked quietly.

"Well no, although…I'm not certain I believe exactly what I saw," Aurelius admitted.

"Was it Voldemort?" Severus asked anxiously.

"No, there was nothing of him there at all, oddly enough. It was a large snake, actually…she protected me from Slytherin somehow…in fact they got into a fight over me, until Anna pulled me out. He called her Brigid, but I don't think that's possible, is it? And why did the snake claim to have spared me to answer for her sparing him?" Aurelius demanded, then looked around to see both his parents and his sister with dropped jaws. But although Dumbledore's eyes were raised in obvious wonder, he seemed less as if he were surprised and more like someone who had seen a fanciful thought proven true before his eyes.

"Extraordinary," he said at last, but no one spoke another word for a long time.

"So this is all related to something that happened before you were born?" Stock asked as they walked to lunch, pacing themselves so they had time to talk.

"When Mum was pregnant with me, apparently, late on the evening of February first, or second, really, considering how late it was…"

"The night of Imbolc," Stock nodded. "Of course it would be."

"Well, anyhow, they were attacked by Harpies that night in the Forest, and Mum somehow ended up in the middle of it. Keki, the herd leader, came to protect her, and that's when it happened, I guess. A phantasmal snake like the one I saw last night protected her, and they saw the image of a woman. Mum always thought it was Keki's powers alone that called her, for Keki had been a sort of temporary Sentinel of Wild Magic, although I'm not sure I understand exactly how that happened. Anyhow, even though they told me about my wand and why it was important…that night never really came up. Apparently my connections to the Forest are a lot deeper than my parents thought. Dumbledore though, he seemed to know that…and really, to be perfectly honest I've known it all along as well," Aurelius murmured. Stock merely gazed at him intently, waiting for him to continue. "Well, like my relationship with Pali, for example. I'm positive it's stronger than my mother's bond with Keki, and their friendship lasted even after Mum got married. And it's definitely stronger than my siblings relationship with theirs. Alex has already lost her connection with Esta, and from the way Andrew's acting, he wouldn't think twice about losing his either. Even my baby sister gets that weird wistful look on her face, but me…I can't do it. I can't bear the thought of losing Pali because of some girl. He's much more important to me than that, and honestly, I don't see how they can do so without even a second thought. It's not worth it."

"I know exactly what you mean, Rel. I feel exactly the same way about being parted from my money," Stock said, earning a dirty look from Aurelius. "Girls are expensive, you know." Aurelius gave Stock a playful shove towards the door of the Great Hall, forceful enough that Stock went tripping forward as they went in.

"You won't even know if you have money again until after the lawsuit," Aurelius scowled at him. "And I hope you're not going to be as much of an ass about it as you were."

"No, I've more than learned my lesson on that, Aurelius," Stock said as they stepped up to take their places. "And you're right, I was a real ass when you met me."

"Und vut are you now, den, just da hole?" Eigil said from a few places down, his mates sniggering at that.

"Silence, Hauk, I'm hardly in the mood to deal with your attitudes today," Aurelius said, gazing coolly at him.

"Dat may be, but I t'ink you owe your house an explanation to vhy de glass is fifty points less dan it vas yesterday, Prefect, because I hear dat you might be da one responsible, considering you are scheduled for detention vith Tonks dis veekend," Eigil said.

"Yes, it was over a personal family matter," Aurelius said evenly. "Nothing but a minor setback, I assure you, and one that'll easily be remedied. I'm sure we'll be back on track by holidays."

"You mean you vill be back on track! Ve are not going to bust our asses getting points you lost! Fix it yourself!" Eigil snarled.

"I plan to," Aurelius said coolly, "but may I remind you not to raise your voice to a Prefect."

"I have no respect for a Prefect who puts anything above his house," Eigil said. "Ve vill not make up for your _short _comings," he said viciously. Sitting beside Eigil, Heph suddenly decided it would be better to scoot down a bit.

"As a Prefect," Aurelius said, apparently ignoring his intentional slur, "my duty to my house is already secondary; the first being to aid in the safety of this school. And yes, I admit family comes before that, because the pure fact of the matter, Hauk, is that we are here but seven years of our lives. Family is forever. Yes, I will do everything I can for this house; with limitations. I won't sacrifice my family. I won't sacrifice my friends. And I won't sacrifice my self-respect…nor do I expect anyone here to do so either," he added, Heph looking uncomfortable. "You have no respect for me, fine, but I have no respect for anyone who doesn't have the sense or the guts to stand up for themselves. Now, if you have any further insults, I suggest you keep them with your mates. Madame Brittle did make a point to have us promise we would be civil to one another this year, and I am not going to be the one to break it." It was a warning, and Eigil knew it. Aurelius, for his part, didn't miss the look of defiant hatred when he and Stock sat down and turned their attentions to lunch.

Despite the glares and sneers, Slytherin house remained somewhat civil for the rest of the week, and before Aurelius knew it he found himself handing his Hogsmeade list to Andrew and rather glumly walking to the Transfiguration room to see what Professor Tonks had in store for detention. He was ruefully unsurprised to find himself looking into a box with a mini potion lab and other breakable equipment.

"I haven't 'quite' finished all my unpacking, so I was hoping since I have you for the day you'd dust it all and set it up for me," she said with a smile, and then winked at him. "Surely someone going into Dark Curses Research would know the basics of setting up some test equipment for me."

"Professor, I'm a Snape. I've been setting up labs since I was three," Aurelius said dryly and she merely laughed good naturedly, heading over to her desk.

"Well, good! Because I got a ton of work to do, old cases…consultations…I hope you don't mind paperwork, Aurelius, because the truth of the matter is you'll spend a hundred hours doing it for every one you spend out 'playing the game,' as we call it…" she went on as Aurelius began inspecting inside the contents. "Moody used to call it the 'Mouse and Cat' game…when the mice get even," Tonks added distantly. "Every now and again, a bunch of us would get together for a few drinks despite the fact that only half of us drank…by the way, you want some tea?" she said, pulling out a tray with a wooden tea kettle and some cups, turning a couple over when Aurelius nodded. "So anyhow, he would often argue that if cats and mice had magic that the mouse would win…cats have a hunger and an instinct to kill but by nature would always be a predator, while the mouse, no longer helpless against the cat's speed and size, has a great cunning and an instinct for survival; and if it turned and fought, the cat wouldn't know how to protect itself. Something along those lines, anyhow. How I miss him…Audi too, the old dear, but in many ways, Moody was sort of like our ring leader and morale officer, all rolled into one. Now it's like there's…nobody," she said distantly, than shrugged it off. "Well, come get your cup. I hope you don't mind wooden cups, I find them safer. I was so lucky to have had this thing fall on my head last year when Thomas and I were in Toby's shop!" she laughed. Aurelius smirked silently at that, but decided for Toby's sake not to comment about it. Instead he thought about the rest of what she had been saying.

"Just why did you become an Auror, anyhow?" Aurelius asked.

"There's always a why, isn't there?" she parried, sipping her tea and not looking at him directly. "Ask me again once you're out of school and passed your test. But for now, best back to work. I really could use that equipment set up. You really ought to consider yourself lucky, I think your sister got stuck running tests with Dr. Sagittari on the lake."

"On the lake?" Aurelius frowned.

"All the flooding caused all sorts of debris and pollution to get in the water. The Kraken have come down with something," Tonks shrugged. Aurelius paused from the tubes he was cleaning and gazed at her again.

"What about the castle's water supply?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, the castle has an extensive filter system now, so no harm to us. I think. Well, if you start growing extra limbs or anything, let Dumbledore know," Tonks advised, but Aurelius wasn't too impressed with her sense of humor. As he turned back to his work and began setting pieces on a table she had put up far out of her normal walking path, there was a flutter at the window, followed by the querulous hoot of an owl. "Now what does he want?" Tonks said with exasperation, nearly dropping the official-looking envelope out the window. Somehow, however, she managed to get a hold of it again, pausing to take a breath before opening in and began cussing up a storm of words Aurelius would never have expected to hear from her.

"I can't believe it! I just can't believe it! How come that big-eared long-nosed walking stick can't find the Tower of London without someone holding his hand, but if you don't want him to find something out he stumbles into it as surely as I find my big toe! Damn him all to…" Tonks paused in mid-flail, suddenly remembering Aurelius, who was staring at her with the same shocked expression that she was giving him. "Um…excuse me, Aurelius. But…I need to step out and speak to Dumbledore for a few moments. Um… would you mind going ahead and staying and finishing all that up for me? Now, I'm sure I can trust you, future Auror and all that…so…just make sure you keep it all the glass away from anything one can bump in to, all right? Ta-ta, then," she said and stumbled out the door.

Aurelius stared after her, wondering if all the blonde jokes he had ever heard should actually have applied to pink haired women instead. But something he had seen in her face bothered him, and the more time he spent thinking about it as he set up the equipment, the more bothered he was by it. Deftly he worked as fast as he could to get his chore done so he could head out to see how Alex was coming along.

It had been several days since he had had time to go out as far as the lake, although he had noticed it seemed high from the windows as he passed through the corridors to class. But it was when he got close that he realized just how much damage the strange whether had been doing. The permanent parts of the docks had long been swallowed by the swelling water, and only the floating part remained. Even part of the steps had disappeared, leaving an eerie visage indeed of descending down into the water. Spying Alex and the Centaur doctor at the edge of the docks, apparently feeding groping tentacles clinging to the edges, Aurelius began to walk towards them. But he was soon distracted by the sound of other voices and noticed Jamie, Joanie, and a familiar girl ghost standing in ankle-high water at the back of the boatshed and went over to investigate.

"It's just a puddle of water. It can't actually hurt you, you're already dead," Joanie reasoned impatiently. "Please be reasonable and come in the castle."

"No," said a glum, hollow young voice from inside the shed.

"It's only until the weather changes, silly boy, and we can spend much more time together!" Moaning Myrtle said. "Just float over to the shore, it really isn't far. I'll hold your hand if you like."

"I'm not crossing the water," Noah said stubbornly.

"You know there's supposed to be more rain tonight," Aurelius said as he came closer, the two first years looking at him thoughtfully. "The flood is going to get worse rather than better, so whatever water you have in there is going to get worse. It'll likely knock it off the foundation, even." There was a long silence, but it was followed by loud sobbing.

"Aurelius is right, as harsh as it sounded," Jamie said, throwing him a dirty look. "You really must come out of there."

"I c..can't! I just can't!" the ghost sobbed pitifully.

"Poor Noah! Whatever are we going to do?" moaned Myrtle.

"You might have to wait until Pyther's awake," Aurelius shrugged.

"But he's only awake at night and it rains at night," Joanie argued. "I doubt he'll want to come out in that."

"All right," Aurelius sighed. "I need to go talk to my sister. See what you can do with him in the meantime, and I'll come help you get him out in a moment."

Alex waved to him from where she sat apparently playing with one of the Krakens, which didn't seem to mind the attention. Sagittari nodded solemnly at him, turning and clopping carefully off the bobbing dock as Alex gathered up the baskets they had brought and followed behind him.

"Hullo! You're done early," Alex said.

"There was some sort of emergency and Tonks had to speak to Dumbledore, but I got my work done. Doctor, do you think it'd be all right if I bottled Noah up long enough to move him to the castle? The girls can't get him to budge," Aurelius explained.

"Don't you think it'll be a bit traumatic for him?"

"Alex, he's a ghost. It doesn't get any more traumatic than that," Aurelius said dryly. "Besides, he's better off being moved than stuck in that shed with the waters still rising."

"Very well, Aurelius. Alexandria, perhaps you had better go lend him a hand since I do not believe those first years have learned any Apparition charms yet, but try to be in the barn in half an hour to finish your detention by cleaning it. Aurelius, perhaps since you finished early, you would be willing to lend her a hand so that you'll both be done by dinner," Sagittari said, his serious Centaur demeanor adding weight to his suggestion.

"Fine," Aurelius sighed, and Alex quickly joined him as he began to walk back towards the shed.

"You should have known better than to come out here. Sagittari was bound to find something for you to do if he thought you got off easy," Alexandria said.

"I know, but there was something I wanted to talk to you about having to do with Tonks leaving," Aurelius said. "See, I saw something in her face before I left that really bothered me. You remember the old story about how Uncle Sirius was put in Azkaban? How several people died in that attack? And Pettigrew was supposed to have been destroyed?"

"Right," Alex said.

"Well, what spell among the death curses is particularly known for its destructive power, and just happens to have come back up again in the papers?" Aurelius said.

"Comet Strike," Alex murmured, but then shook her head. "But Pettigrew is long dead. Mum killed him…"

"Alex, look, I don't want to accuse Sirius of anything, considering it came out he was fighting in self defense and all that," Aurelius said. "But it would have been part of procedure for them to first check Sirius' wand to find out what he cast. If Pettigrew did cast that spell, he wasn't the only one who cast it…Sirius must have cast it too."

"Aurelius, you don't think that in any way means our Uncle had anything to do with what happened a few weeks ago, do you?" Alex asked in a low voice, stopping him a few yards away from the shed.

"I think what you should really be wondering is what it is that the Ministry thinks," Aurelius answered seriously back. "Especially considering the fact the whole school witnessed him acting erratically a month ago."

"But that was Ciardoth's doing, wasn't it?" Alex asked anxiously. "And that attack… I bet if he was involved in any way, I bet it was her doing too!"

"I can't say that hasn't crossed my mind," Aurelius admitted. "But right now I'm more worried about what Uncle Sirius would do if anyone tried to ever arrest him again."

"Aurelius!" The two of them glanced over to see Joanie looking over at them with a hand on one hip and an exasperated look on her face. "He's still not coming out!"

"No problem," Aurelius said, nodding to Alex. "You get the shed door open, and I'll get the bottle ready."

"What are you going to do?" Myrtle demanded.

"It's all right, it won't hurt him. I think," Joanie assured her.

"Anything we can do?" Jamie volunteered.

"Just watch and let us know if he bolts out on his own," Aurelius said, pulling a fluted bottle out of his cloak while the shed shuttered from the force of Alex's spell.

"Huh. Didn't budge it," Alex said.

"Probably threw a bunch of the stuff in the shed against the door, try again," Aurelius suggested as he double-checked the stopper.

"It'd be an awful lot easier if you'd just come out!" Myrtle pleaded as another bang hit the door.

"Yes, come on out, Noah," Alex said with exasperation leaning against the door.

"Never mind, I've got another idea," Aurelius said, taking out a broom. "Keep him distracted, Alex."

"What are you up to?" Noah asked suspiciously, ignoring the banging against the door when Aurelius landed on the roof. Using his wand, Aurelius drilled a small hole in the roof and got from his pocket a small metal device that resembled a spigot from a garden hose.

It wasn't long after Aurelius put it in the hole and turned it on that Noah came barreling out of the shed in a wail, floating as far away from the shed and the swollen lake as it could, Myrtle quickly chasing after him.

"Oh, hurray! That definitely got him out!" Joanie said with satisfaction as another shudder and banging sound went through the building.

"Hey, Alex, cut it out, I got him out already," Aurelius complained.

"Huh? Wasn't me, it was something over the lake," Alex said, gazing at him puzzledly as she came over to stand on the shore with the girls.

"Yeah, right, I felt the shed move, it was you," Aurelius said as he floated back down.

"No it wasn't, you just imagined it," Alex said impatiently. "The sound came from out there. I saw the Krakens bolt from it."

"Maybe the shaking has to do with that funny bubbling in the water," Jamie suggested. Curiously, the others gazed over at the center of the lake where it did seem to be bubbling fiercely.

"It's not bubbling," Aurelius realized as the steam rose over the lake. "It's boiling!"

"Rel! Your bracelet!" Alex shrieked and pointed and he raised his arm to see it was glowing.

"It's Ciardoth!" Aurelius barked in response just as a dragon burst out of the water. "Run!"

"I'll distract her!" Joanie said, whipping out her wand, but immediately found herself being roughly picked off her feet by the waist by Aurelius and forced on his broom.

"No, you fool! You've got seven years to take over the school, don't blow it with bravado!" Aurelius said, glancing back to make sure Alex was alright before he sent a bolt of magic at the school bell and flying towards the door.

Alex had followed his lead and grabbed Jamie's arm, the two of them taking up the stairs after them. After hopping off his broom at the entrance and shoving Joanie towards it, Aurelius quickly flipped back the button on his ring.

"Stop pulling! I can walk, thank you!" Jamie complained as Alex dragged her up the stairs. But Alex was too busy struggling with Jamie to notice that Ciardoth was flying straight for them. Barking out a warning, Aurelius dashed back down to them as Alex and Jamie dove, yanking off the shield and getting it over the three of them mere seconds before a stream of fire went over them. Heat drafted up from both sides, but Alex pulled Jamie closer in.

"Ah! What a remarkably irritating device," Ciardoth snarled as she landed at the bottom of the stairs. "You will turn it over to me, or I will make this promise; for every person you attempt to guard with it, I will take one."

"Your threats are empty, Ciardoth! Don't you think I know you'd destroy us anyhow if you could?" Aurelius said defiantly.

"We don't negotiate with terrorists," Jamie agreed fiercely. Alex put a hand over her mouth.

"Then I suppose the only answer to that is death," Ciardoth said, a crackle of lightning snapping off behind her as she suddenly smashed her tail at the castle itself, causing a large chunk of rubble to fall within inches of them. "If I cannot harm you directly, I shall destroy all that is around you!"

"Ciardoth!" Called out a powerful voice behind the dragon. Aurelius peered out, completely surprised at first to see his Father standing there before he realized exactly what he was actually seeing. "Stand away from those students!"

"He got here fast," Alex murmured, also sounding surprised.

"Only it's not him," Aurelius murmured back. "Look at his robes." Alex risked a quick glance at the traditional Hogwarts robes but had to duck quickly back again as Ciardoth whirled around to face her new assailant, her monstrous dragon tail swiping dangerously close to them as she did so.

"What are you doing here?" Ciardoth boomed. "You are not supposed to be here!"

"Perhaps you simply don't remember," the Snape figure said as he raised his wand. _"Obliviate!" _As the dragon stumbled back, the figure maintained eye contact. "You came here to test one of your memories, and now realize that your defeat is inevitable and there is nothing you can do to stop me, for the memory of my death is a lie," he intoned.

But Ciardoth's slitted eyes became narrow in response and suddenly roared with fury at the attempt to rewrite her memories.

"How dare you! I will destroy you!" Ciardoth shrieked in fury and let out another burst of flame, quickly blocked with a shielding spell.

But the sheer power of the blow was enough to force her opponent to take a few steps back and the figure then stumbled, falling to the ground and dispelling the shield. As the students cried out in alarm, a flash of brilliant red bird crossed their vision as it soared to the rescue, arriving just as Ciardoth let out a second wave.

Fawkes burst into flames, but its own fire was stronger and somehow more brilliant, a fiery shield that gave the figure time to scramble back. But Ciardoth didn't care, her attention focusing in on the Phoenix.

"You think sacrifice can truly thwart me?" she snarled at the bird. "It will be for nothing, for continuity ends here!"

"Continuity shall never end, Ciardoth!"

Aurelius looked back in surprise as Joanie stepped out of the doorway to let Dumbledore through, a subtle gesture with his hand enough to instruct Aurelius to move the others back as the Headmaster stepped down in front them.

"Your efforts to stop it will come to naught!" Albus said.

"Are you still here? I thought I got rid of you already," Ciardoth growled with annoyance. "No matter. Your words are meaningless to me, old mortal, for you too will meet your fate at my hand."

"That may be," Dumbledore said evenly, "but this school will not. You do not possess the power to do so, else you would have already done so. All of the destruction you may cause cannot destroy the spirit." The dragon chuckled at that; a loud bestial chuckle that somehow still reminded Aurelius of her high-pitched maniacal laughter.

"The mortal spirit destroys itself! Your entire existence depends upon the knowledge that when you die, others will be born to take your place! Well, allow me to disillusion you!" Ciardoth said, the dragon rising on its haunches.

As she raised her claws, lightning burst out of the sky, striking the floundering Phoenix chick who had been working his way towards Dumbledore. Once again, Fawkes burst into flames, and Ciardoth let out a blast of a glowing blue elemental wind that froze the flames themselves in a strange icy state. But even as Dumbledore raced to aid his familiar, Ciardoth let out a roar and smashed the ice into pieces, the shards spreading out in every direction like shattered glass.

A momentary silence overtook them all as shock and horror overwhelmed them…so quiet that no one missed the Headmaster when he softly called out his familiar's name.

"The cycle of life is broken! Your world will soon follow its fate!" Ciardoth said triumphantly, laughing in pure maliciousness as she took to the air.

Perhaps that was why she hadn't noticed the trembling of the ground in that moment. Aurelius had, and instantly knew the cause after having experienced something similar from his own brother and looked over at Dumbledore with an open jaw as the Headmaster raised his wand.

_ "Regretten Totallus!" _the Headmaster intoned, his face dark as the spell hit the dragon which suddenly held her head with her claws as every unhappy memory filled her mind at once. In intense pain, she began crying out so loudly that it echoed in all directions, until finally in a strange, wrenching movement, Ciardoth disappeared in a flash.

Severus and Jennifer, who had arrived just in time to see the finish, raced over from the outer grounds, quickly checking on the fake Snape who had suddenly gotten smaller and whose hair had turned to an unmistakable pink. But they stopped short when they saw Tonks was crying, as were the four students who had raced back down the stairs. For they all watched with open grief as the Headmaster knelt on one knee before the spot where Fawkes had made his last stand. Carefully he began to pick up the ice shards, muttering a soft spell to keep them from melting any further than they already head. It only took a word from Tonks before Jennifer, too, was sobbing, and Severus stood horror stricken as the Headmaster's shaking hand carefully placed each piece into his robes. The was a strange look on the Headmaster's face he had never seen before….frail; almost vulnerable. It was an expression that Severus immediately wanted to forget, although he knew he never would. Finally Albus stood, and Jennifer took a few timid steps forward as he looked over at them through almost unseeing eyes.

"Albus?" Jennifer said quietly, but was truly unsure of what to say.

"I think…I think I want some time alone," Albus said at last. He then cast his eyes at the ground as he walked slowly and carefully towards the castle, looking at no one as he stepped inside and down the corridor towards his study.

As the four students and three Professors paused to exchange uncertain glances among each other, the dark clouds above opened up and it began to rain.


	18. Symptoms

Chapter Eighteen

Symptoms

The students who went to Hogsmeade that day returned to a very somber school indeed. Hermione, who had taken over for Severus when he and Jennifer bolted back to see what was amiss, anxiously got caught up with what had happened and hurried to the Headmaster's Study only to find the door closed and password changed. Frowning at it unsurely, Hermione went to her own office to let Ron know she was going to stay the night.

Andrew and Alicia, who had both returned in a cheerful mood suddenly found themselves crushed, knowing how they would feel if they had lost their own familiar. The fact that the Professors were all quiet and visibly restless made it even worse, for they were all very worried about the Headmaster. Aurelius and Alex's hearts were especially heavy, for they were very worried about Ciardoth's claim that she would at some time defeat the Headmaster himself. How many would have to die to see her gone forever?

Aurelius soon headed to his room but was too disturbed to make any attempt to do his homework, his thoughts now turning to his father's own position. It was not one Aurelius would have wanted to be in…knowing that his fate might end with her. Stock, who had gone up early to work on mine business, immediately asked Aurelius to recount what happened, and reluctantly Aurelius did so.

"I can't believe she did that to poor Fawkes! What was it that she was after?" Stock asked from his desk as he went over some numbers.

"I don't know. It almost seemed to me like she was doing it just because she could, and yet… she seemed drawn by something. And angry. I just know at the time it was all going on, I was more worried about Tonks than I was about anything else…although at the same time…I almost wanted something to happen," Aurelius murmured.

"Something like what?" Stock said curiously, looking up from his work. But Aurelius shook his head quickly.

"Nothing. Never mind," Aurelius said, lost in his own thoughts a moment as he slipped into bed, staring up at the ceiling. "You know, there was something else she said that struck me strange," he admitted after listening to the scratching of Stock's quill for some time. "When she killed Fawkes…she said the cycle of life was broken. I don't think she was just talking about the Phoenix in that moment."

"Do you think she's behind the strange weather?" Stock said when he paused to let his charmed abacus at his side check his numbers.

"That much at least I'm quite sure of," Aurelius said. "But what I'm not sure of is if it's the goal, or if it's the symptom of something else."

Jennifer was finishing marking the last of her papers and checking through the lessons that Sunday night in Severus' sitting room when she saw the pen of the appointment book on his desk suddenly rise and then heard the sound of scratching. Curiously she got up to see it scratch in "see Anna as soon as she arrives" after breakfast. She frowned slightly and headed back over to the couch thoughtfully. It wasn't long after that when Severus walked in, looking incredibly tired. He paused when he saw Jennifer sitting there, quietly closing the door behind himself.

"I swear you use my sitting room even more than I do," Severus said.

"Wanted to be here when you got done talking to Tonks," Jennifer said. "I didn't think it was going to be this long, to be honest."

"Yes, well, as it turned out, we didn't speak much of the incident with Ciardoth although I still believe I am at least partially responsible for what happened. After all, it was my plan that put Tonks in such danger, and with Ciardoth remembering my death as she has, it was foolish of me to do so. It might have been Tonks' death she had seen."

"You can't blame yourself for that. Tonks was the one who suggested the ruse originally, and the plan did exactly what you both intended it to do; it put Ciardoth off balance and diverted her attention away from the children."

"And in the process brought about the death of one of the rarest creatures on the planet, let alone Dumbledore's greatest companion," he said gloomily. Jennifer sighed, knowing any sort of rebuttal would make him argue the claim all the more. "Not that we have time to dwell on it, for there is something else has come up that you need to know about. Tonks and I have been keeping correspondence with Thurspire lately, who is convinced that Sirius is the one who was involved in the Comet Strike attack in town."

"What? Oh honestly…"

"This time he may actually have a point," Severus admitted, Jennifer watching him carefully as he sat down. "Since Halloween I have suspected what we experienced that night was a symptom of something bigger, and frankly, I'm not surprised. It's been twenty-five years since he left Azkaban, but parts of him are still in prison while on the surface, his shadow attempts to lead a normal life."

"But that's all he's ever wanted, Severus, ever since Pettigrew died; to lead a normal life…after all, he has a family now, children, his career back, his home back…he hasn't done all that badly…"

"He is merely going through the motions, Jennifer, hoping that by doing them he'll finally feel them with the depth that others do. But he's never going to really accomplish that through burying what happened, as painful as opening up is likely to be to he and his family. Right now, his situation has done nothing but made him vulnerable against Ciardoth's attacks…invading nightmares he will not acknowledge consciously to anyone, including my sister…I have very little doubt at this point that he is one of Ciardoth's recent victims," he said in a low voice. Jennifer nodded slowly, but didn't say anything. "Thurspire has promised me that he will not act or even attempt to question him in any way for a few days to give me time to speak with Anna about it, and Sirius himself. To be perfectly frank, I believe Thurspire is more than a bit intimidated by what might happen if he and the Ministry did try to arrest him, or even ask him to be evaluated for manipulation curses."

"Intimidated, nothing. Thurspire's scared to death of him," Jennifer snorted.

"Yes, which is how I gained so much leverage in this," Severus admitted. "The first thing that needs to happen, however, is for Anna to understand how grave things are, and that is something I prefer to do." Jennifer nodded thoughtfully, then excused herself to see to Ratfly's needs, giving her aging bat all the attention he deserved and often didn't get, while her mind invariably dwindled on Sirius.

Severus was at his desk working on his Divination proposal when Anna arrived the next morning, slightly hesitant to walk in despite the fact the door was open. When she did rap her knuckles against it, he merely gestured, not looking up when she came in. Descartes greeting her loudly, but settled down after a single word from Severus.

"Well, he's getting better," Anna commented. "Rasputin looks rather gorged, though."

"He may have had a mouse too many this morning," Severus admitted. "I'm afraid everyone in the castle has been spoiling their familiar lately. How was your weekend?"

"Same as always," Anna said briskly. "So how's Rose doing?"

"Holding up many times better than Corey," Severus said expressionlessly and looked up, Anna snorting softly in response. "Now, how about you tell me the truth about how your weekend was?" Anna frowned and stared straight at him, but Severus simply met her gaze. "That's not going to work, you know. I am another Snape, after all," he added calmly once they had stared at one another for awhile. "I suppose you believe I have no idea what things have been like lately…how Sirius is wearing his cheerful mask in private nearly as much as he does in public…or how often you wake in the middle of the night to find that Sirius has wandered downstairs and has fallen asleep in dog form in a closet or a shadowed corner."

"You've been talking to Albus, haven't you?" Anna said with the same blank expression on her face, vaguely aware that the door had closed behind her.

"I have two other sources, actually, but as their teacher I'm afraid I can't disclose their names," Severus said almost casually, folding his hands together. "However, since we're on the subject, I would like to remind you that you're hardly the only one affected by his behavior."

"I'm well aware of that," Anna snapped and then sighed, turning to face the fire a moment before kneeling to pet the basilisk napping in front of it. "This is hardly the first time he's been restless at night, Severus. It's come up from time to time over the years, it lasts a few weeks and then it's all but forgotten until the next bout. Hardly unsurprising with everything he's been through."

"No, not particularly surprising, and something that has stood between the two of you from the beginning, as well as your own trauma."

"My own trauma?" Anna said.

"Yes, the one you encountered when you realized your life was more than you had planned it to be, and not only did that seem to make your job studying criminals seem small in comparison, but forced you to realize that even with all your accumulated powers you couldn't stop such crimes from happening," Severus said.

"You know, brother, there are times when I really don't like you very much," Anna said after a moment of silence.

"It is the truth you don't like, Anna. It has very little to do with me other than the fact that I'm not afraid to say it," Severus said quietly. "But let's get back to the problem at hand, shall we? I do not think it's exaggerating to guess that this is the worst Sirius has been since the two of you married. Am I correct?"

Anna sighed again and nodded.

"Ever since just before the school year started, he's gotten more and more restless at night. He paces more. He wakes up with a jolt only to not want to go back to bed again. You know…when I first took this job again, I really, really wanted to do this. I was so determined to turn this course around since its digression over the last few years. I even entertained the idea of staying on for another year or two to make sure my changes to the course got implemented. I feel strongly about that, Severus, and yet…after what happened at Halloween, I feel guilty about coming to work even when he's insistent about going to do his own work despite his lack of sleep. To be honest, I don't know when the last time he had a full night's sleep even was. And then…" Anna paused a moment, patting Rasputin one last time before reluctantly taking a chair.

"A couple of nights ago, I noticed him gone and I got up, expecting to find him napping somewhere again. Instead he was sitting at the kitchen table with a glass of water in front of him, dipping his fingers in it and watching it drip off of them. Then he looked up at me…but there was a strange look in his eyes…as if he didn't actually recognize me at all but knew someone was standing there. He gave be a rather strange smile then and said, 'do you know, it's amazing how many people take something as simple as clean water for granted,' and then he didn't speak again for hours, merely playing with his glass…trapped in some old memory I can't get to. Damn it, Severus, I've got a degree in psychology, why can't I reach him?" Anna said with grief and frustration.

"I need not tell you, Anna, that a person can't be helped if they don't want to be helped…"

"But he wants help, Severus! Maybe not consciously, but unconsciously the signs are there…"

"Perhaps the problem, Anna, is that he doesn't want help from you," Severus interrupted. Anna stared at him. "Most likely, because he doesn't want you to get hurt from whatever is going on in that impossibly thick skull of his."

"You are the one that told us we needed to open up to each other…"

"Yes, which evidently neither of you did, and that hasn't helped what's been going on," Severus said. "Anna, tell me honestly. His nightmares have been getting worse and often visual to you since Halloween, haven't they?" Anna nodded slowly.

"I don't know how that happens, or why, exactly, but it does."

"As it so happens, I do know why," Severus said quietly. "It is a symptom proving that something foreign has entered his mind. Sirius has spent twenty-five years protecting his darker thoughts… first from Dementors then from all of us…doing everything in his power to put walls up or push away or fight anyone who attempts to break through his pseudo-life. If something came in from inside that barrier, he would have no choice, if he wanted to protect those memories, to force them outside of that barrier to protect them. In essence, whatever it was that invaded his space was so powerful that his subconscious mind felt its only choice was to push his darker thoughts out into his conscious and manifest them…probably through his own magical talents."

"Ciardoth is doing this to him," Anna said, feeling a rush of anger.

"In part, yes," Severus agreed, Anna's eyes darting over to him again. "But you must admit that Sirius must be partially to blame as well for letting his past control his life to the extent that it does."

"And just what am I supposed to do about it?" Anna said. "I would drag her out if I could get past his walls, but I can't. He doesn't want me in there!"

"No, no he doesn't," Severus agreed as Anna began beating her head against the back of the chair. Finally she stopped and just shook it.

"I guess you were right all along, Severus. This whole marriage was a mistake," Anna said, Severus turning thoughtful. "He doesn't want me in his life. Hell, I don't think I believe any of that stupid cosmic destiny crap any more. The idea that either of us were meant for the other seems so ludicrous now."

"Good, I'm glad you've come to your senses then," Severus said evenly. "It's about time you've stopped loving him. Found someone else yet?"

"That's not funny, Severus," Anna said icily.

"Well, it's your decision, not mine, after all. Do you want me to tell the children for you?"

"What I want is for you to stop mocking me! Just because everything's always so peachy between you and Jennifer all the time doesn't mean you have the right to criticize…why are you laughing at me?" Anna glared when she caught Severus sniggering.

"Because I find that statement particularly funny," Severus said wryly. "Trust me, Anna. It has hardly been the glowing symbol of perfection that you make it out to be, considering how many times we ended up fighting, not speaking to each other for weeks on end. She's tried to leave me…oh, three or four times, and I her twice, not to mention several rather disagreeable public bouts that only served to get our names in the gossip column. I find that being so-called 'fated' with a person is no guarantee to happiness…in fact, it seems to make it a great deal easier to be miserable with each other. If you want something better than what you have now, you had better work on it a bit harder."

"I have been!" Anna snapped.

"Have you? When was the last time you've opened up to him about some old wound that's been pestering you?" Severus challenged her.

"When have you?" Anna retorted.

"Just over a month ago, actually, when your husband had us relive one of the many scoldings we received from Amanda Elwood," Severus said evenly. "I hope he at least paid the same courtesy to you after that display." Anna got up then, walking over to the other side of the room. "So he didn't, I see."

"I spoke to Albus about it," Anna murmured. "Sirius just…said he wanted to go home…he didn't say a word all night. I've tried everything, Severus, I have. But I just don't know what to do any more." Severus looked thoughtful for a moment, then his eyes shifted down to his appointment book.

"I suggest you start with inviting Jennifer out to dinner tonight," Severus recommended. "A long one," he added. "Plan to stay at the castle. In the meantime, I think I will pay Sirius a visit."

"He wouldn't like that," Anna chuckled.

"All the better," Severus said with a nod as the book added the entry.

"Besides, don't you have a proposal to write?"

"Never mind that. Now, go teach your students how to keep their fingers out of light sockets or whatever it is you do so I can prepare for my own classes," Severus said.

"Gee thanks," Anna said only slightly sarcastic before she left the room.

It was only a moment after the owl delivered Anna's message that Sirius turned towards the liquor cabinet, but he hadn't even finished making his drink when there was a knock at the door. Leaning a bit to see past the gauzy drapes on the living room window, Sirius groaned when he saw who it was. Downing the glass he set it smartly down on an end table and reluctantly went over to the door, popping it open and staring warily at Severus Snape.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius said with open annoyance.

"I thought with the girls out we might have a little talk," Severus said evenly.

"Even if I wanted company, which I don't, I wouldn't be asking you," Sirius said briskly, slamming the door in his face then stomping back to the cabinet. Severus, however, opened the door and came in anyway, then stood in the living room doorway watching him calmly. "Drink?" Sirius snapped, unsurprised to see that Severus was still standing there.

"If you have something palatable, perhaps," Severus mused, glancing skeptically at both Sirius' chosen brew and the cabinet. "So this is why they call it the hair of the dog."

"Don't start, I'm not in the mood," Sirius growled at him. "Did Anna send you here?"

"No, why, does she have some reason to?" Severus asked as he went over to inspect the contents of the cabinet. But Sirius didn't answer. Instead he turned to brood over his drink as if ignoring Severus altogether. "How did she react when you told her about what happened to Amanda?"

"I didn't. And I'd rather you not bring it up, either, so if that's why you came, you might as well leave," Sirius said.

"Actually, I came to ask your advice on a case I've been helping the Ministry with. You heard, I suppose, about the warehouse being destroyed?" Severus asked, squinting at some of the labels.

"Why the devil would I care about that? I don't deal with Longbottom. I wouldn't have dealt with Malfoy either if you hadn't felt you needed someone to keep an eye on him…"

"Yes, I know, I feel the same way about him, although two Ministry officers were killed in the attack as well. Thurspire believes Ciardoth had something to do with it, that's how I became involved."

"I thought you of all people had more sense than that," Sirius said. "Especially after everything he has done to make both our lives a living hell!"

"I have hardly forgotten," Severus said evenly. "I admit, however, I became increasingly interested when I realized that the spell that had been cast appeared to be Comet Strike."

"Ciardoth doesn't cast conventional spells, as you the 'expert' well knows. She doesn't need them and she doesn't understand them. If someone cast that spell, it was probably just a vindictive attack on Longbottom himself," Sirius said.

"Perhaps," Severus nodded. "Or perhaps she used someone else to do it for her so that no one would realize it was her. There were several items missing from that warehouse that should have been there, Sirius, many of which could have been destroyed from the blast, perhaps, but not, I think, all of them. I need not tell you that Malfoy had collected quite a variety of very powerful artifacts over the years…items that might appeal to someone bent on destruction. And until her involvement is ruled out without the slightest shadow of a doubt, I have no choice but pursue it."

"Suit yourself, although I think it would make more sense to spend less time worrying about what she's up to and more time finding a way to destroy her before she does anything else!" Sirius said.

"Since Ciardoth's goal is destroy herself as well as us, her actions will most likely reveal what it would take to get rid of her once and for all," Severus reasoned. Sirius shook his head, pouring himself another drink. "Besides, I am also concerned about who it is she might have manipulated to do something like this. There aren't all that many of us that can cast that spell, so it shouldn't be too hard to narrow down. In the school, I know of only five people who know it, and one of those is a student who despite his talents I don't think could have controlled it. Tell me, Sirius, besides yourself, who else do you know who can cast it?" Sirius stared at him for a long time.

"It's none of your damn business," he said at last. "A spell is a spell, and I'll be damned if I will help you try to convict one of my friends just because you're playing Inquisitor!"

"Whoever cast that spell is in grave danger," Severus said firmly. "Ciardoth may be manipulating them without them even knowing it…she will take any advantage she can to suit her purpose and cares not what havoc it may cause. I wouldn't even allow someone I didn't like to go through that." Sirius immediately looked up as if he had been slapped, his glassy eyes suddenly becoming clear with intense anger.

"You think it was me, don't you? You think I was the one who killed those men? Haven't you learned anything after all of these years?"

"Yes, I have," Severus said calmly. "But you have not. Tell me truthfully, Sirius. Did you or did you not have a dream before Halloween about that fight with Pettigrew?"

Sirius immediately launched himself at Severus, but although Severus went down easily, he was hardly taken completely by surprise. In fact, as they rolled over Sirius suddenly found disoriented and realized he wasn't at home anymore as Severus had worked to free a port key in the struggle. Even though the walls of the entrance were now clean and whitewashed, Sirius recognized where he was and let out a horrified wail as several other guards suddenly pounced.

"You're dead, Severus! Dead! I'll kill you with my own bear hands!" Sirius screamed when Severus finally was able to break away so the guards could cuff him.

"I can think of worse ways," Severus shrugged, glancing over some of his bruises.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Hinge said to Thatcher Boltin, standing nearby with an unusually pale face and serious expression. "We're breaking every damn rule in the book and you know it!"

"Never mind that, I'll take the blame myself," shouted Thurspire above the howling, a worried look on his face. "This had better work."

"Take him to the fourth quarter," Severus said.

"What? I'm not going to…"

"Do as he says!" Boltin said with such unmistakable authority that Hinge immediately forgot his protest and nodded to the rest of the guards to carry him off, Severus and Thurspire close behind.

Several times Sirius attempted to change form, but the guards had plenty of experience with Animagi and not one grip was lost. Hinge yelled at him constantly, threatening to sedate him or petrify him and many other methods he usually used to subdue prisoners. But this time he did none of them, despite the fact that the guards were more than worse for wear when they finally arrived at the dreadful fourth quarter…the area of Azkaban left unrestored as a reminder to the prison not to fall back upon those dark times. But to Sirius Black, it was even a more painful reminder of the thirteen years he himself had been tormented there, and his wails became more pleading and sobbing as they threw him in one of the cells. Despite its own recent cleaning, no amount of bleach could wash away the rough walls filled with deep gashes from years of insane prisoners clawing at them in some desperate attempt to be free of their cells.

"Leave us please," Severus said, the guards looking over at Boltin, who nodded. Ederick whispered something in Severus' ear then that he quickly answered. With one last look at the crumpled figure in the cell, Thurspire grimly turned to join Boltin as he ushered his guards out of the room. "Now, shall we try this again?" Severus dragged over a stool from on old guard station, not even bothering to dust it off as he sat in front of the door. But immediately Sirius turned into a dog and curled up in the corner with his back to the door. Severus shook his head. "Well, I see this is going to take a while. Take your time, then. I'm not going anywhere any more than you are. In fact, perhaps I ought to write a note to Jennifer and Anna saying as much."

Severus heard a low growl but didn't look up, digging in his Chest Cloak and bringing out several books, note paper, quills and other things and setting them on a quickly transfigured desk.

"Strange that someone like Pettigrew could know, let alone control, such a spell as Comet Strike. But he did just as assuredly cast it to murder those people as you did attempting to stop him. I suspect James had something to do with it…knowing just how cocky he was, he probably heard the story of Grindelwald and set out to prove it was no big deal…and how better to prove it than to teach it to all of you as well. I suspect Lupin knows it as well. Perhaps I should send him and his family an Owl too."

Immediately that brought a reaction, for the dog suddenly turned around as if leaping for the bars and soon Sirius was there, shaking with more than just his fury.

"Moony had nothing to do with anything! You leave him out of this!" Sirius shouted at him.

"You're hardly in a position to say who I Owl and who I don't. Do you suppose Potter knows that spell?" Severus mused as he glanced over the paperwork he brought.

"You vindictive sniveling bastard! I swear if you so much as lift one finger at him I will tear you limb from limb! Ever seen anyone mauled from a dog? It's not pretty!" Sirius snarled.

"Yes, I'm sure Anna will appreciate that."

"At this point I don't care! I don't care about anything, just let me out, please, just let me out," he said, leaning his head against the bars.

"I'm afraid I don't have the power to do that," Severus said, looking towards him thoughtfully.

"Well, you certainly seemed to have the power to put me in here!" Sirius shouted fiercely.

"It was your decision to jump me like that, not mine, and over a very simple question no less."

"You were accusing me of murder!"

"I was accusing you of nothing! If anyone did any accusing, you were doing it to yourself," Severus said, raising his voice to match his but still keeping an even tone. "I simply asked if you have had any nightmares about what you went through with Pettigrew the night he framed you."

"It's none of your business!" Sirius barked.

"Very well," Severus sighed and began writing a note, wondering how much of an inconvenience it would be to get a cot for himself. Sirius paced the cell a while, muttering to himself strangely until turning into dog form again. Knowing he wasn't likely to get anything more out of him, Severus finished his post and held it out to an anxious guard waiting outside the door, having a quick word with him before laying down in the next cell to close his eyes for a few moments.

It was only an hour later that it happened. A chill crept down Severus' spine and he instantly awoke, listening to the sound of restless tossing and turning in the next cell.

Carefully he got up and felt for his wand, slipping out to peer in the dark cell. Shards of light from tiny slit windows far above pierced through the black night like backwards shadows. From where he stood he could tell that Sirius had at some point turned back to human form. Suddenly Sirius woke up and let out a horrifying scream, and the chill immediately intensified so dramatically that Severus whirled around to check his back. There, drifting in and floating down and even seemingly coming out of the walls themselves was a horde of Dementors.

For a split instant, Severus found himself experiencing Azkaban as it had once been; with shrieks and screams echoing out of the empty cells around them as if still filled and the Dementors hovering to the cell doors like moths attracted to light. They were merely phantasms, Severus knew, symptoms of Sirius' terribly plagued mind…but in that moment they seemed as real as could be.

_"Expecto Patronum!"_ Severus intoned, a volley of bright white doves shooting out of his wand in a swarm. Sirius watched from where he sat in his cot shaken and confused at the bright light as the nightmare Dementors scattered and finally faded into nothing, leaving only a silhouette that faded back into the darkness as the light from his spell waned.

"That's not how it's supposed to happen," Sirius murmured in a hoarse voice. "The Unicorn…the Buck…not some…stupid birds! Nothing is the way it's supposed to happen! I am not a murderer! I am not a traitor to my friends! I don't kill innocent lives! It was Pettigrew! Pettigrew! Why doesn't any one believe me? And why am I beginning to believe they were right all along? Please, help me! Anyone! I can't tell what's real and what isn't any more!"

"So I've noticed," Severus sighed softly. "And as such, I'm not sure I completely believe you are ready to accept help yet, despite the fact you ask for it."

"Of course not! How can you, when I don't believe myself any more? Who would believe a condemned man? A man to whom life has no value and can't trust himself outside of these bars…how can he expect anyone else to trust him?" Sirius shouted at him. "And why am I talking to you when you're probably just another figment of my imagination!"

"Good question," Severus agreed, sitting back down at the makeshift desk and taking out a couple of candles out of his pocket. "I suspect, however, that you will know the answer to that in the morning."

Sirius watched him warily as he lit the candles and began shifting through paperwork again, carefully dipping his quill and rubbing his head as he attempted to concentrate on what was before him. Severus didn't speak again. He didn't even look up. And Sirius found himself wondering once more if he were really there at all. It was strange how the scratching noise of the quill pierced out of the darkness, as persistent as the flickering candlelight.

A headache was coming on now, and Sirius laid down, partially from pain…partially from exhaustion…and partially from pure confusion as his strained mind toyed with the idea that the last two decades of his life were nothing more than his imagination; a diversion he had concocted in his own mind to escape his imprisoned state. Finally Sirius drifted off to sleep again still believing his life had been a dream, and although Severus noticed him tossing and turning quite often, it was a good couple hours after the wan morning light dared to peek through the dreary prison windows that he finally opened his eyes again.

It was the sound of a yawn that woke him up, and Sirius found himself staring at the rough ceiling in alarm; for deep inside, part of him had expected to see the crisply painted ivory of his bedroom at home. The realization of where he was caused him to sit abruptly up. A jolt of intense pain surged through his brain and he let out an involuntary groan, leaning back against the wall.

"Serves you right after that foul stuff you were drinking last night," Severus said from where he still sat at the makeshift desk. "I suppose I might have something for that, if you're ready to believe I'm real now." Slowly Sirius walked to the door and peered out at him, squinting his eyes until they finally came into focus. "As you can see, I'm still here."

"You're still here," Sirius agreed. "And I think I'm awake. And therefore, I think I am going to kill you," he said, rubbing his head again.

"Do you want the potion or not?"

"Potion first. Head on a stick later," Sirius agreed. "And get me the hell out of here."

"I told you before, I don't have the power. You are the only one who can decide when to come out of that prison you've made for yourself," Severus said evenly. Sirius suddenly stared at Severus suspiciously then pushed on the prison door. It easily swung open.

"Now I am definitely going to kill you," Sirius said flatly. "Who do you think you are. pulling this Dumbledore crap with me?"

"I believe I am the only person who bothers to come near you that you feel no obligation to protect from the truth of what has been going through your head lately," Severus said, picking up his things. "You did have a dream about that night, didn't you, Sirius? Only this time, you actually saw yourself doing exactly what the Ministry accused you of; killing Pettigrew and all of those around him. And then that morning you woke up to find out that someone had used Comet Strike on a warehouse very near to where that had taken place."

Sirius slumped against the door and slid down to the floor with a haunted look on his face.

"I wasn't certain, Severus…perhaps…it was a coincidence…that's what I tried to tell myself, and yet something told me it wasn't…it was rather nagging, really. I had heard what happened to Jennifer, of course, but no one new was in my dream…no one was present that wasn't there when it happened. What if it was just me, Severus? Caused by nothing else but my own insanity thrashing out in my sleep? I can't do this again…I can't be put here again. You might as well set my death sentence and be done with it, for I will not survive it. But I suppose if I am guilty, I am just as dead, for I could never live with myself knowing that in a sheer moment of terror that I took two innocent men."

"I see you've condemned yourself already, and if so, I suppose there truly is nothing I can do," Severus said as set the stool aside. "I had a feeling that your cry for help last night didn't mean anything. Here, take this," he added, handing him a bottle with a complicated seal.

"This isn't for curing hangovers," Sirius frowned as he read the poison label.

"No, but you'll find it painless and effective. I'll let Anna know you went quickly," Severus said. Sirius glared and thrust the bottle back at him.

"I hate you," Sirius said.

"Does this mean you're ready to get help or not?" Severus asked with a fixed gaze. Sirius gazed back at him for a long time.

"What sort of help did you have in mind?" Sirius asked reluctantly.


	19. Different Sides of the Same Coin

Chapter Nineteen

Different Sides of the Same Coin

It took less than a day for some of the story of what happened to get around the school. Both Snape and Black had cancelled their classes for the day; and Zoë and Zack didn't show up for any of their morning ones, although none of the faculty seemed concerned about it. But the two of them did appear at lunch, and it was then that parts of it began to emerge as they admitted they had been at St. Mungo's to visit their father.

"Hardly a surprise, is it, after that bit at Halloween," Garret said where he sat near Eigil and Mona at the Slytherin table. "Everyone's always said his head hasn't been quite right since he got out of Azkaban, and if that wasn't proof of it, nothing is. No wonder those twins are so screwed up."

"I don't know, they're not all that bad," Heph shrugged, poking at his food. "My father's a bit mental too and personally, I think having him committed would be a bit of a relief." Garret chuckled at him. "Think Madame Black is going to be back?"

"I hope not! I was not looking forward to that silly business of playing House Elf for a day and having to cook," Juliet said.

"Neit'er vere ve," Eigil sneered, some of the others chuckling at that too. "Oh look, here comes our Prefect, de utter person here vith insanity in his veins." Garret grinned at Heph, but Heph didn't return it. Instead he turned around to see Aurelius and Stock standing beside the Gryffindor table exchanging words with Andrew and the twins. A moment later the two of them walked over, taking seats near the center of the table. "Und vhere is your fadder, Prefect? Did he get put in St. Mungo's too?" Eigil jeered.

"Why, did yours?" Aurelius asked evenly. The color drained completely out of Eigil's face, followed by a look of intense hatred. "Those twins have enough pressure on them right now without us adding it, and we have other concerns. In fact, I'm thinking of calling a meeting tonight to go over some things."

"Do as you like, Prefect, but da rest of us are going to be studying for de 'surprise test' Snape alvays gives vhen he's been gone a day,"

"It's a mandatory meeting, Hauk," Aurelius said firmly. "Absence will not be tolerated. If you are not there, you will be brought there."

"I vould like to see you try it," Eigil snarled.

"Well, I could always call my little brother to do it," Aurelius said casually, ignoring the 'oooo's' that traveled up and down the length of the table. Stock merely grinned at him, but not another word was spoken between them despite the fact that Eigil had a dangerous glint in his eyes.

So Aurelius wasn't surprised that night when Slytherin began to gather that Eigil Hauk was nowhere to be seen. Aurelius was about to devise a plan to bring him in, petrified if necessary, when he noticed a large figure at the doorway accompanied by none other than their advisor. Aurelius raised an eyebrow at that as she smiled enigmatically at him, one arm wrapped around a rather irritable Eigil as they stepped down into the Common Room of Conspiracy.

"Sorry we're late. We were having a chat," Madame Brittle said cheerfully, ignoring the rather wary crowd.

The older Slytherin were still quite unsure of their new advisor and often went out of their way to avoid her (except for the Quidditch team who found that impossible to do). Advisors rarely made it a point to come to the Slytherin meetings, and the fact that it was so out of character was enough to put even Aurelius on edge when he saw she was making herself comfortable and had no intention of leaving. Even Stella looked over at Aurelius unsurely, but as everyone got settled, Aurelius simply decided to shrug it off and pretend she wasn't there. After all, Brittle had been a Slytherin herself; surely she knew what these meetings were like. Of course, Aurelius wasn't so sure about his own position…the house was still divided in many ways, and most of his on housemates didn't trust him. This, he knew, was going to be a hard sell.

"We are down to our last couple of weeks until the holidays, and as you know are in a healthy second position and are still close enough to Gryffindor to surpass them again before we leave. I would like the Tiebreakers to report to Stella and I about any house members who are performing below expectations in schoolwork so we can get them up to speed, for as you know, many professors like to give report rewards to the top scorers in their classes before the holidays. I will be tutoring Potions and Defense, Bulstrode in Charms and Transfiguration, Stock in Arithmanics and History, Morris in Herbology.

"What about Muggle Studies?" Juliet asked anxiously.

"Juliet, the midterm for all classes in Muggle Studies is the Feast. If you haven't figured out how to boil water on an electric stove yet, you're on your own," Aurelius said. Juliet slumped slightly. "We have one more Hogsmeade trip, which I will be attending. I trust everyone will behave themselves…"

"Have you started donations for Zonkos, then?" Garret asked. "We're getting low on Seatstickers and Bookslickers…"

"Actually, since you've brought it up, I have decided to no longer support the Tiebreaker storage cabinet," Aurelius said, getting a number of protests from the rest of his house, gaping at him as if he were mad. "We will still keep a donation fund for house members needing new brooms, supplies, and that sort of thing, but from now on you'll get your own joke supplies, although honestly I'd prefer you didn't get them at all. I don't want the rest of you depending on sinking other house points to make ours look 'bigger' any more. If we are going to get any respect from the other houses, I think it's time to earn it." Most of the students stared blankly at him. "We were chosen for this house for being ambitious, and determined to succeed, and doing what it takes to win. But personally I don't see how any of the stuff that's been done over the years to sabotage the others as do anything but give us a bad name and turn us into losers. You know we're the best, and I know we're the best. As such, we don't need to stoop to that sort of rubbish in classes any more than we need that sort of thing out on the Quidditch Pitch."

"I don't know, from the way Hufflepuff plays it seems to me like we need all the help we can get," Heph said dryly.

"Well, it's not like Hufflepuff doesn't always lose points in the classroom…"

"Yes, because they're easy to set up," Garrett said, getting chuckles from around them. "You can't be serious, Snape. You can't really mean to get rid of the closet, it's been a Slytherin tradition for, well, forever…besides, you know it's a lot harder to earn points than to get others to lose theirs. You might as well just split up Tiebreakers."

"Not at all, Tiebreakers still play a very viable part in getting us to win points. As for tradition well…times change. And agree with me or not, I think this house has changed. I for one am tired of the bad rap every student in our house gets from the moment they get Sorted, not to mention the reaction of family. I know a lot of your families were proud to have you in this house, but tell me honestly, how many of you received strained letters or disappointed looks during the holiday from relatives when it came out you were a Slytherin?" Quite a number of them paused to look at each other, while several did their best to avoid his gaze. "It has to stop. And the only people who can change that is us," Aurelius said firmly. "Now, of course that does mean some other tactical changes need to be made if this is to be successful. For one thing, Stella and I have decided to streamline the Sparring Tournament a bit. Less isn't always more, and although we appreciate the participation, it does us no good for you to go out there and to be embarrassing yourselves…so when January rolls around, only the top five of each year will be allowed to compete. The rest of you will turn your concentration on your scores and projects. If you are making top marks in your class, I want you to be working on volunteerism in getting everyone else up there…but only if you're within the top ten of your class. Is that clear?" Every one simply looked at him. "Tiebreakers, I want to see not only point scores, but I want you to get a list of marks from every student in your year at the end of the holiday. Those Tiebreakers who don't want to do so or don't like this new policy, come see me after the meeting so Stella and I can find a replacement."

"You can't just throw out a Tiebreaker like that unless he's in negative points…" Garrett blurted out, but quieted down when he saw Aurelius' fixed gaze.

"Are you stepping down, Meyers? Because now is the time," Aurelius said.

"Of course I'm not," Garrett said irritably.

"Good," Aurelius said. "Then it's settled. Tiebreakers make sure your years follow the new rules and get tutoring if they need it. Meeting adjourned. If anyone needs a loan for Hogsmeade, just see the treasurer."

Everyone broke out talking at once then, some of them wondering to do with the illegal stashes of joke products they had been hiding for months. Others were staring at Aurelius with such betrayed and angered looks that he forced himself to ignore them. But Madame Brittle walked up to him with a strange smile on her face.

"Good meeting. Strange timing," she added thoughtfully. "but gutsy. The trick is going to be actually getting them to follow it."

"Especially when half of them hate me," Aurelius muttered, but Danny laughed and put an arm around him, pulling him aside.

"Aurelius, there hasn't been a Slytherin Prefect yet that half of his housemates didn't hate, let alone seventy-five percent of the rest of the school. And in that, I think you're ahead of the game. You're a Slytherin after my own heart, Rel. There's no satisfaction or glory in backstabbing one's way to the top…but take my advice, and make sure you're watching your own back against those who haven't quite figured that out yet," she winked, knowing he would do just that.

A half an hour later, after everyone had begun to settle into their nightly routines and Aurelius had finished taking several requests for help from some of the younger students, Aurelius wandered upstairs to find Heph talking to Stock. He nodded to them as he dug through his things to get out some homework, but the two of them fell quiet.

"Are you two just going to stare at me all night?" Aurelius asked a few minutes later as he looked over what he had left to finish.

"Stock, mind if I have a word with Snape real quick?" Heph said.

"Sure," Stock shrugged, grabbing some books. "Just fetch me in Conspiracy when you're done." Heph nodded to him as he left and then looked over at Aurelius, but Aurelius didn't look up. Pulling a chair over to where Aurelius sat on his bed, Heph sat down as well, looking around.

"You know, I miss this room. We had some good times in here when we were just kids," Heph said thoughtfully.

"You left of your own accord. I hardly forced you out," Aurelius said evenly, looking over his papers.

"Well, maybe not, but you sure gave me the cold shoulder when you came back as a Prefect," Heph said, Aurelius merely flicking his glance for a split second before returning to his work. "You know, it's pretty crowded in my dorm, and there's only two of you. Any chance I can come back over?"

"Hauk cut off your allowance, did he?"

"It's not about that," Heph snapped, and then sighed. "Look, I know I've been an ass the last couple of years, but I'm not the same snotty kid that came in here any more than you and Stock are."

"You tried to hurt my sister last year, Heph. Think I was going to forget about that?" Aurelius said icily.

"I wasn't really trying to hurt her…I was just…I wouldn't have let Hauk actually do anything, you know that don't you?" Heph said.

"Get out, Heph," Aurelius said. "It's not going to work."

"Look, maybe I can make you a deal. You give me a second chance, and I'll help you find something I know you're looking for," Heph said.

"Bribery may work with the rest of that group you've been hanging around with, Heph, but it's not going to work with me!" Aurelius snapped. "Now get out or I'll find someone to throw you out."

"Fine, fine! But don't tell Stock I didn't try! And here I was going to complement you on how you've been handling things…"

"Don't bother, it wouldn't mean much," Aurelius said. "You want a second chance, Heph? Earn it."

"How?" Heph said.

"Try growing a backbone and standing on your own two feet for a change," Aurelius said. "When you learn to have your own opinion instead of someone else's, maybe there will be something there worth hearing." Heph stared at him in disbelief, shaking his head.

"Man, Hauk is right. You have turned into a stuck-up ass who thinks he's too good for the rest of the world."

"Guess that makes me a Slytherin," Aurelius shrugged. "How did you bribe the Hat to get in again?" Growling softly to himself, Heph stormed out, and a few minutes later Stock returned, a bit chagrined.

"I take it that didn't go so well," Stock said as he came in.

"Stock, I hope you didn't put him up to that."

"No, but he did ask me how I'd feel about moving back. He really isn't all that bad of a guy, really. Just a bit misguided," Stock said, leaning on the door. "What's the difference? I mean, you forgave me after I made a total wash-up out of my life."

"I guess because there's a big difference in someone who tries to buy friends and someone who's actually willing to accept," Aurelius said.

"I don't know," Stock said thoughtfully, putting his books away and laying down on his own bed. "I did it to get people to like me and be popular…in his own way, so did he. It's just different sides of the same coin, really," he decided, snuffing the lantern near his bed. "But I'll let you make you own mind up about that one."

Aurelius sighed softly and put his papers aside, lying down. But finally he shook his head. No, he decided, Heph really need to break out of this, for himself if for no one else. And he wasn't surprised when Heph took to avoiding him after that night, and as the holidays approached, Aurelius forgot all about the offer that Heph had made him.

Anna couldn't help but wonder what she had gotten herself into.

The constant rain had played havoc with the roads, and Anna had soon learned that during the last Hogsmeade trip the busses had had to be levitated over several waterlogged areas even on the short trip to Hogsmeade. The students came back drenched and not looking much like they were in the holiday spirit. To make matters worse, Toby's shop was nowhere to be found, so most of the students found themselves kicking back at Honeydukes, the Three Brooms and the Deli for most of the day, none of them in the mood to buy anything.

After such a miserable time none of them looked forward to another bus trip, and Anna could hardly blame them. So finally she went to Dumbledore, who arranged several flying coaches to get them to the mansion. Severus stared out of the gate of the Pitch, shaking his head at the six coaches and the students grouped out in the rain. Anna, who had stopped to arrange some things with the kitchen staff, paused curiously when she saw her brother standing there then walked up to him.

"Enjoying the view?"

"Just amazed that you are still going through with this," Severus said. "I had to come down and check Danny's sign-ups for Divination and speak to her about the current students."

"I'm just glad you got that course past the board."

"Yes, proof positive that they never read the fine print," he murmured.

"Has anything unusual cropped up in any of the journals?" Anna asked anxiously.

"Not yet," Severus said in a low voice. "But now that your husband is in safe hands, it's only a matter of time before she finds someone else."

"Always the skeptic," Anna said dryly.

"Yes, so I will spare telling you that this holiday meal of yours is a disaster waiting to happen," Severus said casually. Anna gave him a dirty look before joining her students. So he may have a point, she realized as she hurried through over to them and had them load up. Still, how bad could it get?

"A disaster, an absolute disaster," Zoë declared as they sat at the table, staring at the lumpy roll in her hand disdainfully. "I can't believe she gave any of them a passing mark for this. Especially after that scene Juliet made when she found out that her team was supposed to snap and clean all those beans by hand as if it were some big insult to even be in the kitchen."

"Well, she was a bit put out," Zack admitted reluctantly. "Actually, I thought that whole bit with the blender was funnier…besides, those hams look all right, don't they?"

"Duh, Zack, they were precooked?"

"But we had to put the glaze on!"

"Right, like that takes a rocket scientist to do it!"

"What is this stuff supposed to be anyhow?" Phil said, staring in his cup.

"Oh, one of the cooking teams got to use the juicer all day, but I've no clue what's in it," Zoë said. "They tried nearly every fruit and vegetable Mom would let them."

"Boy, am I going to be glad to get home!" Ted said glumly, but then saw Zoë glaring at him. "No offense."

"Don't listen to them, Zoë, it's fine, really," Andrew said. "See? Halbert likes it." In fact, Halbert had somehow managed to cut some of the hard rolls and salvaged the ham into sandwiches.

"Like he won't eat anything," Zack chuckled.

But despite his own jeers and jibes, Zack made a point of eating as much of the ham as he could, and noted that Zoë nibbled her rolls as she was recounting the trials of having to teach the rest of her team how to use the digital oven. Even Juliet ate some of the beans uncomplainingly, but found herself trying to overhear every whisper, very conscientious as the rest of the class was that it was nowhere near the level of the Hogwarts Elf staff. But finally the biscuits appeared, and those, at least, met with some limited success, until Madame Black noticed that some of the decorations were rearranging themselves into different shapes and pictures. Immediately she stood up and put her hands on her hips staring directly at the Hufflepuff table. Alicia slid down in her seat, while her housemates, and indeed, some of the staff, including Dumbledore, couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"Do you know, Anna, I think your dinner is a complete success…at the very least, it has certainly increased their appreciation of how much they depend on their House Elves, and that can't be overlooked," Dumbledore said cheerfully, dipping one of the rolls into some honey. "I don't suppose you're going to do it again for the end of the year Feast?"

Beside him, Severus suddenly choked on a piece of ham.


	20. Guests for Yule

_A brief cameo in this one. Why? I'm sure only Severus and Vallid knows for certain, although I bet you can guess. g> Enjoy! JCWriter. _

Chapter Twenty

Guests for Yule

The gutters of Baker Street were overflowing when the Snapes arrived home, walking through deep puddles to get to the stairs leading to the front door.

"What a mess! I bet all of my herbs in the back are ruined," Jennifer said as they stepped inside. "Do you suppose the tree is alright?"

"I'm certain a little rain won't hurt it," Severus said.

"This is hardly a little rain," Jennifer said. The other four, who had gone over to the fireplace to make sure all their trunks had arrived, stopped and looked thoughtfully over at the worried glances exchanged between their parents.

"How about some coffee?" Severus said. "Do you suppose Mercy got our message?"

"I'm sure she did. I should go see where they all are," Jennifer said, heading to the kitchen while Severus' eyes flicked over to the footlockers.

"Seals, Aurelius?"

"All still in place," Aurelius nodded, glancing over the wards over the locks.

"Good, take them upstairs," Severus said.

"I don't suppose I can go out once we're unpacked?" Alex asked.

"Pushing your luck already, are you?" Severus said in a low voice. "Very well, but only for a few minutes, if you don't mind?"

"Right," Alex quickly agreed, enchanting her trunk to walk up the stairs in front of her. Aurelius followed with a shake of his head, and then the other two followed soon after, shrugging at each other as they went upstairs.

Severus lit the fire in the front room and turn up the gas lights in the hall before stepping into the kitchen to find Jennifer distractedly pouring coffee beans into the top of the machine.

"The yard is an absolute mess," Jennifer sighed. "It might as well be a swamp."

"I'll work on draining it in the morning," Severus promised. "Hello, Mercy, any problems?"

"None worth noting, Sir, except the basement is a bit damp, Sir," a chipper Elf voice said from somewhere around them. "Welcome home, Sir!"

"A bit damp? I'm afraid to think what that means," Jennifer said. "Didn't you stock the potion shelves before we left?"

"Yes, I had better get down there now and see what the damage is," Severus said.

"I wonder what the Muggles think about all this strange weather?" Jennifer murmured, debating on whether or not to try the television. Of course, she had tried to find the news before on occasion, only to see something incredibly silly on instead. Pushing the button on the coffee machine, she decided to get Alex to help her when suddenly Alex hurried down the stairs in her slicker. "What in the? And just where are you think you're going? And in the rain, no less!" Jennifer exclaimed.

"Oh! Um. Father said I could?" Alex said hopefully. In the time it took for Jennifer to blink, she was out the door. Exasperated, Jennifer turned and prepared to storm down the basement stairs to confront her husband but found him sitting on a step halfway down with his head in his hand. Sighing softly, Jennifer sat beside him, looking at the four inches of water on the floor. Fortunately, the bottom of the potion shelf was still eight more inches above the waterline, but it was still a very disconcerting sight.

"Guess Rasputin and Descartes have to sleep in our room tonight," Jennifer said thoughtfully, Severus' gloomy expression not changing. "Welcome home, Severus." Severus made a face at her but put his arm around her, staring at the occasional glint of light off the dark water below.

It took Severus and Jennifer the better part of the following day to get the house in order again, but that was only the beginning for Jennifer, since she had to get ready for the upcoming holidays. It was not long after she began to drag out some of the decoration boxes that she realized there was a definite absence of children in the house. Slightly annoyed, she went down into the basement to find Severus staring at a home manual on waterproofing charms.

"Where on Earth is everyone? I was going to send them for garland only to find the rooms empty!" Jennifer said.

"Alex went to the Ministry, Aurelius went to your father's house with Stock, and the other two are visiting Sirius, I believe," Severus said, marking his place before he looked over to her. "I was planning to go to Mungo's myself after I finished this so that Sirius would have the opportunity to launch death threats at me again. I can bring them home and stop at the market for you on the way if you'd like."

"No, I suppose it can wait until tomorrow," Jennifer sighed. "I'm sure they will be around during baking day."

Severus watched thoughtfully as she headed back up the stairs, frowning slightly. There was little doubt now it was going to be a very tough holiday for Jennifer.

That fact became even more obvious just before breakfast the next day as she began to set up the kitchen. Alex was the next one out of bed, heading for the coffee pot as if she had drank coffee every day, despite the fact that Jennifer had never seen her drink it before.

"Good morning! Coming to lend a hand?" Jennifer asked cheerfully. Alexandria paused a moment as if slightly surprised by the question.

"Well, maybe for a few minutes," Alex said diplomatically. "Actually, I was hoping to head back downtown today. Did you hear that they're inviting Muggles to the Ministry Ball this year? Well, Muggles that know about us, of course."

"Wait a minute, Alex, I seem to recall our invitation saying they were having it on Christmas Even this year," Jennifer frowned. "In fact, I know it is since that's the reason your father and I decided not to go."

"Oh, of course I don't expect the two of you and the others to go," Alex said quickly, glancing at her father in the doorway who in turn was wondering what he was walking into. "But you know, Mother, it'll be easier for me to get placed in the Ministry next summer if I have a chance to touch base with other departments."

"She has a point, Jennifer," Severus put in as he poured his coffee. Jennifer stared at him in surprise, realizing with annoyance that she couldn't read him. "In fact, perhaps we should all go," he went on. Alex whipped her head around to look at her father, a flash of terror in her eyes. "We can show our own support to the changes put in place with the BELA movement which encourages this sort of thing, since it also eliminates the need for using the Obliviation Curse. Besides, that way we can still spend the holiday together."

"I'm sure everyone already knows what side you support," Alex protested. "Really, there's no reason to trouble yourselves over a silly little ball…I won't stay late…"

"No, your father's right, Alexandria, we'll all go," Jennifer sighed. "Especially since you need to go. I really wouldn't want you to spend Christmas Eve alone. Besides, it's hardly like I had anything planned for that night yet, since everyone's coming over for Yule this year."

"Then I can't go out for Yule?" Alexandria frowned. Jennifer put down the bowl she had just fished out of the cabinet and stared at her.

"No you certainly will not! You are lucky right now that your father was here to stick up for you, or you wouldn't be going to the ball either," Jennifer said irritably. Severus simply sat down at the bar and drank his coffee.

"Thanks, Mum," Alex said, painfully forcing a grin on her face before turning towards the bar. "Thanks, Father," she added with such a sarcastic edge that Jennifer couldn't help to blink in bewilderment as she watched Alex leave the room.

"Just why do you suppose did she say it like that?" Jennifer asked. Severus shrugged, sipping his coffee again.

"Out of the icebox, Andrew," he said casually a few moments later, causing Jennifer's attention to waver off of him as she grabbed a long-handled spoon. But Andrew had quickly gotten himself out of range was she swiped the empty air with it.

"Just for that, Andrew, you can come out and take care of breakfast! I have enough to do without worrying about what you're getting into!" Jennifer scolded.

"Oh, all right," the voice of Andrew said and he then appeared, getting into the icebox again. "I don't suppose you would let me go to Shelly's for Yule? Her family is throwing a big Mistletoe gathering party if the rain clears up…"

"No, you cannot! We're having family over and I expect everyone to stay here and help," Jennifer said, growing grumpier by the minute.

"Really? Who all is coming?" Andrew asked curiously.

"Your cousins will be here, and Corey and Rose if she's feeling up to it and hasn't had the baby yet. Even father and Fleur had the gall to accept the invitation. Don't you want to see them?"

"Sure," Andrew shrugged, tapping his wand against the pot to give the water a head start boiling. "Of course, I'd also like watching Shelly climb trees."

"Just poach the eggs, Andrew," Severus sighed disapprovingly.

"Honestly! Am I the only person here who wants a family gathering this year? I think the rain and the strange weather in general has dampened everyone's Christmas spirit!" Jennifer declared, looking over the springerle molds and making sure she found them all. But before Severus could make any sort of comment, Aurelius walked in.

"No breakfast yet?" Aurelius inquired.

"You could start on the toast," Jennifer snapped.

"It's all right, I've got it, Mum," Andrew insisted as bread hopped out of the box and onto a tray and knives began to merrily butter them.

"I'll set the table," Aurelius said amiably. "By the way, is there any reason I can't go to Stock's house for a few hours on the first of Yule?"

"That does it!" Jennifer said, throwing down the molds and wiping her hands off angrily. "I'm not going to spend my day working in the kitchen for something none of you want to do any more!" she said, storming into her bedroom and slamming the door behind her. Andrew and Severus turned and sighed at Aurelius.

"What did I do?" Aurelius scowled back defensively.

"Aurelius, I need not tell you that the situation this holiday is quite explosive, so I would prefer that you and your siblings put extra effort at humoring your mother and staying close at hand," Severus said.

"Why, what's up?" Andrew asked.

"We're all going to the Ministry Ball for one thing," Severus said calmly. Aurelius whistled.

"Well, that's living life dangerously, isn't it?" Aurelius said.

"Why? What could be so bad about going?" Andrew asked curiously as he began dishing the eggs.

"I suppose it is time you and Alicia were updated," Aurelius said thoughtfully, then nodded. "Time for a meeting, I think."

"After breakfast," Andrew insisted, checking on the toast in the oven.

"Good, then I shall briefly check on your mother and then join you," Severus said in a low voice, putting his cup in the sink.

"You will?" Andrew said, growing even more curious. "This must be a bigger family crisis than I thought."

Severus' attempt at reasoning with Jennifer did nothing to improve her mood, especially with him going on about how it was only natural as the children got older that they would want to do other things. Perhaps he was right, she frowned in the mirror at herself, but holidays were for family, after all. Why was it she was the only one that seemed slightly interested? Perhaps it really was the weather, she brooded, looking out the window. Never had she longed for the biting winds and heavy snows of winter as she did in that moment. Without it, the entire world seemed very wrong.

Not even an hour later, as she stared at the ceiling of her room with a mirror in her hand, a warm, spicy smell drifted by Jennifer's nose, getting her attention. Curiously, she cracked open the door to hear voices and noises coming from the kitchen and went to investigate, stopping short in surprise when she saw the room was bustling with activity. Andrew was busy sliding a tray of simply decorated gingerbread in the oven, while Aurelius worked to organize a stack of baskets and prep ingredients for the others, looking over Jennifer's baking list. Alicia was busy molding the springerle biscuits, looking over the pictures on each one critically, while at the bar sat Severus Snape, making a show of supervising while actually absorbing the headlines in the _Daily Prophet._

"I still think these pictures would look better with a bit of color," Alicia complained.

"No," Severus said, glancing unbendingly at her from over the edge of the paper and his spectacles. "You are to simply follow the instructions on the list you found."

"Even the part where I'm only supposed to make five dozen?" Alicia challenged him.

"No, that you can ignore," Severus decided.

"Well, what's all this?" Jennifer asked at last. "What did you do, hang them up by their toes again?"

"I believe they're getting too old for that sort of persuasion," Severus said, looking behind him as he heard the front door close. Alexandria came in a moment later with a pine garland around her neck like a bolo and a paper in hand.

"_London Times,_ Father," Alex said. "Rel, come help me with the tree."

"All right," he said without arguing, putting down the baskets.

"Mum, where's the box with all the Christmas candles?" Alex asked.

"In the attic, I think," Jennifer said, still looking between them all suspiciously. "I'll go get it."

"That's all right, I can manage. Why don't you just relax and put your feet up," Alex suggested as she walked back out.

"Put my feet up?" Jennifer repeated with disbelief. "Severus Snape, what exactly are you up to?"

"I am reading the paper to see what the Muggles think of the weather," Severus said unconcernedly. Exasperated with his answer, Jennifer shoed the other three out and took over the baking.

"That is not what I meant and you know it," Jennifer said, grabbing her apron. "What exactly do you have on them that they're willing to go through this sort of lengths to try and appease me?"

"What makes you think I have anything on them?" Severus asked evenly.

"Because I can't read any of you, for one thing! Including you!"

"Jennifer, it is less than a week until Christmas. Is that really all that extraordinary?" Severus asked. Jennifer frowned, but didn't bring it up again. "It appears that the Muggles believe the weather is caused by a shift in the Gulf Stream because of a strange cool down effect in the northern Atlantic…something to do with greenhouse gases."

"Greenhouse gases? What is that?"

"Something to do with industrial pollution, I believe," Severus said. "Interesting, isn't it, how _the Oracle's_ own explanation is rather close to this one?"

"I was wondering where I heard that before," Jennifer said, looking away from the ovens. "In fact, _the Oracle's_ reports have been strangely accurate compared to the _Prophet_, haven't they?"

"My guess would be they're not using a Weather Predictor at all," Severus agreed, then frowned at something else on the page. "Jennifer, do you happen to recall what time the sunset last evening?"

"Hm? No, not really…not that anyone can tell with all the rain every afternoon anyhow," Jennifer said. "Why?"

"How about this morning? What time did you get up?"

"Around five, I believe…"

"And when did the sunrise?"

"I don't know, seven'ish, I suppose. Really, Severus, I don't know, I was busy. Does it matter?" Jennifer asked.

"I'm not sure," Severus mused, then shrugged. "It could be nothing…and yet…here we are on the verge of the winter solstice, and yet it truly does seem in many ways to be the beginning of September."

"I know," Jennifer sighed, then shook her head. "This is no freak of nature season, even those who doubt Ciardoth is the cause must now realize it's more than just that."

"I am quite certain it is her," Severus said, getting some notepaper to send out some Owls. "It is the question of how she might be doing this that worries me the most."

Just as the Yule Log was put in place, Zoë and Zack knocked upon the front door, and not long after came Corey and Rose. Immediately, Jennifer began to fuss over her being a week overdue already, insisting on making her as comfortable as possible despite her protests.

"I'm never going to have this baby if it's too comfortable to come out!" Rose laughed.

"He or she will come when he or she is ready," Jennifer said. "Are you hot? Perhaps I should open some windows."

"It's going to be even hotter if you're still going to light the Log tonight," Zack said.

"Of course we shall. Alex, why don't you get everyone some cool drinks?" Jennifer suggested, opening the front windows anyhow. She paused at the last one, staring out with furrowed brows before walking over to the front door again.

There was really no doubt who it must have been, but all the same when everyone looked up they had to do a double-take when they saw Fleur Craw, for instead of her long flowing platinum hair she had a long fluffy crown of white feathers descending into the back of her dress.

"_Bonjour_, everyone! Oh, Rose! I'm so happy you made it!" she said brightly and sat down beside her while Thomas stepped over behind her.

"I bet she isn't," Thomas smirked. "Late, eh? A Craw wouldn't dare to be late…"

"Oh, Thomas!" Fleur scolded with exasperation. "Please pay little attention to him. He is just nervous about becoming a father again."

"A Craw is also never nervous," Thomas said flatly. Jennifer rolled her eyes.

"So you say! But wait until I begin to molt," Fleur teased him with a twinkle in her eyes. "What lovely decorations, Jennifer! Very festive!"

"Never mind all that, where is the remote?" Thomas asked, glancing around.

"It doesn't matter, Dad, that thing isn't working right now," Jennifer said testily. "Now, why don't you come sit down? We'll be lighting the Log soon."

But Thomas paid no attention to his daughter. Instead he inspected the television with a critical eye before taking the plug and putting it back in the wall. Then he made a cursory look around and raised a finger as if reaching a conclusion. Striding into the kitchen, he cautiously pushed a button on the microwave and took out the remote hidden within it and then went back into the front room, turned a chair around, and clicked the contraption on contentedly.

"Well, isn't that just lovely?" Jennifer seethed.

"So! Are you hoping for a girl, or a boy?" Fleur asked Rose quickly.

"Well, when I first found out, Essie told me she thought it was going to be a girl," Rose said with a smile, "but we would be happy with either, of course!"

"Oh, of course! Thomas and I feel the same…although, I must admit we are being hopeful that it is a boy," Fleur said wistfully.

"Yes, I hope so too. I would hate for another girl to have him as a father," Jennifer said icily. "Or were the two of you planning to put her up for adoption and try again?"

"I think I better see what's keeping Father," Andrew said in a low voice, hurrying into the hall.

"And people think our side of the family is screwed up," Zack murmured to Zoë.

"Might I ask about your…hair, Aunt Fleur?" Zoë said, ignoring her brother. "Is that uh…normal?"

"Well, of course you may ask! Veela often lose control of their human shape when expecting, Zoë, but fortunately I am only part Veela, after all. Does it look so terrible as all that?"

"I think you're as beautiful as ever, Aunt Fleur," Zack put in. Jennifer snorted softly.

Suddenly the television seemed to turn off on its own and Thomas jumped up in surprise, flipping switches, pushing buttons, and even kicking it experimentally. A moment later, Severus came in with his violin case in hand, Andrew not far behind.

"Good evening. I see things are going about as I expected," Severus said, earning a dirty look from his wife.

"Alexandria, help me get this damned contraption to work!" Thomas said, still pushing buttons.

"Don't bother. I paid a visit to the fuse box a moment ago," Severus said evenly, and then waited as Thomas attempted to figure out what he was talking about then went to the back of the house. He returned a moment later, clicking the remote with frustration. "That won't work either. I happen to have the fuses in my pocket. You will just have to join the family this evening, Thomas."

Jennifer beamed at Severus as Thomas turned the chair he had been sitting in back around and sat down, already looking bored in anticipation for the evening ahead. Jennifer bit back her anger at her father as she took her own seat, trying to concentrate on Severus who had walked to the fireplace. Setting down his case on the mantle he took out his wand, turning to everyone thoughtfully.

"So here we are, despite yet another year of people trying very hard to kill us," Severus began, getting a dry chuckle from Thomas in response. "And even worse, attempting to draw us apart," he continued, glancing at Jennifer. "But once again by some miracle we are still here and still growing…well, hopefully not tonight," he added. Corey, Rose and Fleur chuckled nervously. "And the fact we are here is something that I do not take for granted, nor should any of us. No matter what evil befalls the outside world and no matter what futures lie ahead for all of us…if my life was taken tomorrow, I would go knowing that over the years we have accomplished something larger than any of us have individually. And despite our momentary differences of opinion, I know that this family and its beliefs will live on as long as even one of us survives to carry on."

The children looked at each other worriedly as he lit the fire, and also noticed that lines of worry had crossed Jennifer's forehead as well despite her warm smile when she clapped and then hugged him.

"Was that a speech or a eulogy?" Zack whispered to his sister, who shrugged at him.

"Andrew, why don't you get the gingerbread," Jennifer suggest a moment later, noting their discomfort.

"And the springerle and other biscuits, if you don't mind," Severus added, opening the violin case.

"Are you really going to torture our ears again with that thing?" Thomas frowned.

"Well, it has become a tradition," Jennifer said wryly.

"Not all traditions are good, Jen-girl," Thomas said.

"Since when?" Jennifer said, gaping at him then looking at Fleur, who shifted in her seat and avoided her gaze. "I don't know whether to die from shock or if I should just take down witness names for a later date."

"Now, Jennifer, you invited him, you can at least attempt to humor him," Severus chided her lightly. Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Alexandria, answer that for me please."

"Did you invite someone else you forgot about, Mom?" Corey asked.

"Perhaps it's Essie," Alicia suggested.

"They went to Doug's mother's house," Corey said.

"Hey, Mum," Alex said, coming back in with a box. "There's a man at the door to see you. He asked me to give you this."

Curiously Jennifer took the box and turned it over, her eyes widening as she saw it was a puzzle of the New York skyline.

"Oh, no, it can't be!" Jennifer said, standing up in surprise and staring at Severus.

"Hey, Jackie," said someone behind her.

"Mark!" Jennifer said, jumping over the couch to get to the man standing there and nearly leapt in his arms in her enthusiasm to hug him. Lunette Vallid then walked up behind him, smiling enigmatically at Severus before accepting a drink from Aurelius and finding a seat as the other two quickly attempted to catch up.

"Hold it, hold it, HOLD IT!" Thomas shouted, causing Jennifer to finally back up. "Who the hell is that?"

"Oh. Um. Dad, everyone, this is Mark, whom I stayed with in New York," Jennifer explained. "Mark, the family." Mark nodded to Severus and then looked over the rest of the robed figures, trying very hard not the stare at the woman with the feathers. "Actually, I suppose this is a bit much," Jennifer realized, looking apologetically at Mark.

"Oh, no, it's okay. Judge Vallid warned me," Mark assured her, then took a deep breath. "I guess she wasn't exaggerating," he added with a nervous chuckle, grinning warily at the older wizard with the dangerously flashing eyes.

"So what you are telling me," Thomas said, "is that this is the Muggle who helped imprison Jen-girl when she lost her memory, and Lunette got it in her head to smuggle him in the country, and now, you allow him into your house," he said, turning on Severus, "and is being hugged by your wife, and you are okay with this?"

"Yes," Severus said. "In fact, I was the one who invited him. Care for a drink, Mark?"

Not trusting his legs, Thomas sat back down with a bewildered look on his face as he watched his daughter fuss over the man, looking more cheerful than she had in days. Behind them, Severus and Lunette shared a private smile as the children cautiously tried to become acquainted with the unexpected guest.


	21. Something Lost, Something Gained

Chapter Twenty-One

Something Lost, Something Gained

The next few days before Christmas were unusually harmonious on Baker Street. Jennifer was often out with Mark and Lunette as she took him on a tour of both sides of London, often coming home to a full house as the children were still trying to stay on their best behavior. They in turn spent a lot of time helping their father with his Flux tests along with the twins, who spent much of the day there to stay out of their mother's way while she went back and forth to St. Mungo's.

Now that Severus was certain that the telepathy tester did work, each one was measured, although he was not surprised at the results. Alexandria, Aurelius and the twins all reached the 'exceptional range' for telepathic, while Andrew and Alicia had a more natural but very strong leaning towards instinctual, or empathic abilities. But all of them were quite intrigued by a new device that Severus unwrapped; a prismatic globe on a stand much like a crystal ball would have.

"I have this on loan from Mr. Wallace, a group charm developer, he uses it for research. It works similar to a Flux Meter, but it gauges an individual's tendency towards particular magic strengths…it simply writes down a line of numbers of different skills which I then translate from this scroll. He assures me that it is an accurate read; but I suppose we shall see, since I am fairly aware of your natural tendencies already. Zoë, let's start with you and Zack first. You will be casting a series of basic spells at the globe, which will simply absorb them and send out a reading," he explained, slipping on his spectacles. "Very well, let's start."

The rest of them watched with interest as Zack cast each spell with perfect wand precision, then waited intently along with him as Severus went over the numbers and made some marks on the scrolling paper the magical machine spat out at him.

"So?" Zack asked impatiently.

"You are strongest in wild magic, secondary in white, and your power areas are item manipulation and transfiguration," Severus said.

"Yeah, I knew that," Zack snorted. "Too bad it has little to do with what I'm planning on working towards after next year."

"What's that?" Alexandria asked curiously.

"Paranormal Psychology," Zack said, and Zoë snorted.

"He wants to be a ghost shrink. Like ghosts need shrinks."

"I can name a few in the castle who could use one, including one professor," Aurelius said. Severus glanced up and frowned at him. "What? I didn't mention any names."

"Never mind that there's only one ghost professor," Zoë said with amusement, glancing at her wand. "Do I have to use this?"

"I would prefer an accurate reading if you don't mind," Severus frowned, gesturing to the globe. "You need to use the exact same methods for it to be a valid test." Sighing at the inconvenience, Zoë ran through the spells and then once again everyone waited for the results. "Wild magic, followed by dark, strengths in transfiguration and hexes…now why am I not surprised?" he said dryly, Zoë grinning at him in response.

He was also not surprised when Alicia favored Dark, Wild, and enchantments and item manipulation, Andrew Ancient, Light, transfiguration and charms, and Alex White, then Ancient, charms and enchantments. But nearly all of the children were quite surprised when Aurelius' main magic was Wild instead of Dark, which turned out to be secondary, although no one blinked when Severus named curses and countercurses as his strengths.

"I would have thought for sure those two would have been reversed considering you always had a knack for it," Alexandria admitted.

"Still, that does give us a full deck, doesn't it?" Andrew put in, looking at the others. "Not only do we have different houses but different strengths as well."

"But we've always known that, really, haven't we?" Alicia said.

"True," Alex said, "although up until now I never realized how curious it was…what are the odds that each of us would be so different and still come from the same parents?"

"It's no accident," Andrew decided. "It was Fate."

"Let's not get carried away, Andrew," Severus said with a frown, finishing the last line of the recordings before folding them up. "Your mother and I alone decided how many children and when to have them, Fate had little to do with it."

"I doubt either of you decided for me to be rescued by an ancient goddess," Aurelius pointed out, "or for that Leanan Sidhe to attack Aunt Anna when she was carrying Alicia, or whatever else must have happened to mess up Alex and Andrew."

"I blame what happened to me on our parents," Andrew said, sounding slightly amused. "But what's to say that Fate didn't play a hand in it anyhow? I mean, I know we make our own decisions, Father, but don't you ever feel like things work out too well for it to be pure chance?"

"I agree," Alex said with a nod. "I mean, I can't possibly think meeting Ben after all this time could have been just a coincidence. And what about how you met Mother? I've heard both of you say on occasion if the two of you had met at any other time it probably wouldn't have worked so well, let alone meeting at all."

"The six of you are here to help provide data on the Flux Effect, not to prove or disprove the existence of Fate," Severus said, attempting to reel them in.

"Was that a dodge?" Alexandria challenged daringly.

"That was a, 'let's get back to business so you can get back to enjoying your holiday,'" Severus said firmly, and pointed them towards the next device. But Alex couldn't help but be somewhat suspicious, wondering what his answer might have been. She may have been rather surprised, in fact, to have learned he didn't know the answer to that any more than they did.

Severus didn't finish the last of his numbers until the morning of Christmas Eve. After a brief breakfast, he spent most of the day looking them over to find them all consistent with his theories and began to outline his follow-up, using his first paper as a reference to make sure he didn't overstate anything.

It was just about the time the light in the basement began to dim and he began reluctantly thinking about getting ready for the Ministry ball that he heard muffled shouting from somewhere above. Reluctantly he went up the stairs to find the squabbling coming from the front stairs, so with a sigh he ascended them knowing that he was quite probably walking into something he really didn't want to get into.

"There is no way I'm going to wear that thing! I don't like it!"

"You are not going to go to a Christmas ball looking like you are ready for a funeral, Alicia! Take off that mourning gown and put on something more festive! You could at least try this one on…"

"There is nothing wrong with wearing black to a ball, Mother," Alicia said stubbornly.

"There is on Christmas!" Jennifer retorted. "Now take off that black thing at once or you won't be going."

"Does this mean that I should stay home as well?" Severus inquired from the doorway. Jennifer flinched slightly, quickly regaining her composure.

"Well, that's different. And your dress robes do have a bit of green on them. Besides, I went to a lot of trouble getting a dress for her. She could at least try it on…"

"It's burgundy! I don't look good in burgundy!" Alicia said. "I'm not wearing it! Besides, you're letting Andrew and Aurelius wear black too."

"They're boys!" Jennifer said with exasperation.

"I am not going to be a victim of a double standard! If they can wear it, I don't see why I can't!" Alicia said, not budging.

"She does have a point, Jennifer," Severus said calmly. "I myself see nothing wrong with the dress she is wearing, even if it does make her seem a bit pale. However, I am certain that if you ask her once more to change it, she gladly will."

Alicia's lips thinned noticeably as she watched the silent exchange between her parents, afraid for a moment that her Mother wouldn't back down. But after studying Severus' face for a very long time, Jennifer frowned with frustration.

"Fine, have it your way then. Go on and show up looking like a haunted ghost if that's what you want," Jennifer said irritably, turning quickly for the door so she wouldn't have to see Alicia's triumphant grin. Severus glanced at his daughter with a frown that spoke volumes. Alicia knew he was not particularly happy with her causing waves tonight. But without a word, he followed behind Jennifer, knowing it was more important now to calm her down.

"It is true, I think…what you have said before," Severus said as he followed her down the stairs. "Growing pains really are contagious."

"Severus, don't start," Jennifer snapped, then lowered her voice as she reached the bottom. "I went along with your decision, didn't I?"

"I merely believe that as long as they're properly covered and following the dress codes when at school, we really don't have the right to criticize their style choices any longer…especially clothes they bought with their own coin."

"Well, she looks terrible, and I still think there's more to this sudden change in her than just artistic license," Jennifer went on grumpily.

"And I think that someone is finally beginning to realize that she is quickly losing control of her children as they begin to take greater control of their own lives," Severus said quietly.

"Well, like it or not, they still have to listen to us until they get out of school, and that goes double for Alicia…she is still very young and has a lot to learn. Even you have to admit she's rather naïve for her age, despite everything that goes on in this family," Jennifer said, stepping into the bedroom.

"True enough," Severus said thoughtfully, "and perhaps in some ways because of what goes on in this family. Still, it won't be very long at all before even she will be ready to head off for her own future, whatever that may be."

"Then the last of the goals we set for ourselves when we got married will be reached," Jennifer said softly, staring in her closet without really looking. "What do we do then, Severus?"

"Set some new goals, I suppose," Severus said, rubbing her shoulders in attempt to comfort her. Jennifer let out a long sigh, turning her attention back to getting ready.

Fortunately for everyone, Jennifer's mood had improved by the time they left for the ball. Alex was stunning in her new holly green dress, while Jennifer had found a gold dress of Minerva's she had yet to wear; she had decided after buying it that it was a bit too flashy. Surrounded by a family in black, however, 'flashy' was just what she felt she needed, letting her auburn hair hang lose for a change to subdue the effect. Alexandria, used to her mother's primping, tolerantly allowed her to tie her hair back into a curly tail, despite the fact it made her look too young for her own taste. But Alicia made a point to be scarce until it was time to leave, knowing better than to give her mother an opportunity to try and add more curls than Alicia already attempted painstakingly to tame.

They had made a point to arrive early, for Severus wanted to speak to some people himself whom he knew would be too crowded later to engage in any sort of private conversation. But none of the others seemed to mind, stepping just in the entryway to see who had arrived so far.

"Mind if I stay here and wait for my date?" Andrew asked.

"You have a date? Who with?" Jennifer asked curiously.

"Um…good question. Let me look it up," Andrew said, getting out a small appointment book out of his dress robe pocket.

"Oh great, our brother the gigolo," Aurelius said dryly.

"He'd have to charge for that," Alicia teased.

"Mum, do you mind if I go mingle?" Alex asked while Andrew was still fumbling with his book.

"Oh, very well! Go have fun, everyone, just stay in the building!" Jennifer said with exasperation, then turned to Severus as they dispersed, wrapping a hand around his arm. "It's too bad Mark and Lunette couldn't stay for tonight. But then again, he was quite overwhelmed by everything we showed him," she chuckled.

"I can imagine. Mark is rather two-dimensional even by Muggle standards," Severus murmured.

"Yes, well, I can hardly argue with that," Jennifer chuckled. "It was still nice to see him though, even if it makes me miss Isaac and the Kingler's all the more."

"Then perhaps you'll be happy to know that I've arranged for us to see them tomorrow evening," Severus said.

"Really?" Jennifer said brightly.

"I thought you might like to see them, and they wanted us to come see their new restaurant, after all."

"Wonderful! It'll be just like old times!" Jennifer said with a glowing smile, and then paused to wave at someone coming in. "Why it's Sarge! And there's Father Pachem! Father, I didn't know you were going to make it tonight!"

"Only for an hour or two," Father said with a smile. "I am glad to see you, for I have a message for you. Rose wasn't feeling up to the evening, so she, Corey, and Ashley are staying in this evening."

"Really? I hope she's all right," Jennifer frowned, glancing Severus who gazed back at her knowingly.

"I'm sure Ashley can handle anything that comes up, Jennifer, if they need us, they'll let us know," Severus said.

"Yes, that's rather what Corey said," Pachem said with amusement. "So the two of you just relax and enjoy yourselves. Ah, there's Jack Martin! I need to speak with him before the mass."

"I don't suppose Mr. Thurspire is here yet?" Sergeant Brommel inquired.

"I haven't seen him yet," Jennifer said thoughtfully, "although I'm sure he's probably around somewhere since he usually comes with the Minister."

"Speaking of which, I need to speak to Draco a moment," Severus said, spying him standing with his advisor, Arnie Peasegood.

"Go ahead, it'll give me a chance to talk to Sarge," Jennifer said, then turned back to him, asking about his cousins.

After a quick glance back into the entryway to make sure that impending doom was not yet descending on the Ball in the way of his daughter's boyfriend, Severus slipped over to the Minister of Magic, who broke off his conversation with his aid and nodded respectfully to him.

"Good evening, Draco, holding up under the weather, I see," Severus said.

"Well, no one has begun to panic yet, if that is what you mean," Draco said. "Except perhaps Thurspire, but then, it's Thurspire."

"Yes, where is your annoying scarecrow puppet this evening? Out catching butterflies without a net while oblivious to the dragon scorching the fields?" Severus asked casually. Arnie sniggered, but immediately stopped when he saw Draco's eyes flick momentarily onto him.

"Thurspire went to speak with Theta nearly a week ago and hasn't arrived back yet to my knowledge, although I'm certain he'll be arriving soon," Draco said.

"The Formorians?"

"Yes, after being closeted with our astrologers for two days, he suddenly became worried about the impact of the climate changes on their city and decided to investigate," Draco said. "I'll be glad when he gets back. DeMille drives me up the wall."

"He seems quite intelligent," Severus said.

"So he is, but he also lacks ambition. If a case can't be solved readily, he would sooner pass it on to a lower enforcer who lacks the capacity of following through simply to get it off his desk."

"So, rather, you choose someone who will chase every avenue, despite the fact his recklessness tends to get most of the people he comes in contact with enraged," Severus mused.

"Professor, if there's one thing I've learned in the past two years, it's that people are going to get offended by the Ministry's practices no matter what we do. I would prefer to get the job done, and damn the sensibilities. Public Relations can worry about that," Draco said.

"Which is probably why Percy and I find we've been working our asses off lately," Arnie said, only partially joking. "Not that I mind Ederick myself, really, and he sometimes can be quite brilliant in his own right…but Severus does have a point. Even if you're not concerned about the public response, what about the fact that no Aurors or Enforcers truly respect him? The truth of the matter is that as the Minister he should have easily been able to appoint someone to do this work for him, but no one would go. Granted, he'd rather be out of the office than in it, but things can't keep going on this way…he can't keep going on this way…he can't possibly keep up with the workload he's expected to do by himself. He hates the job…"

"There's no one else in the Ministry at the moment I would trust to do it," Draco snapped.

"Perhaps someone outside the Ministry then? Perhaps an Auror…"

"Don't say it, Snape, don't even waste a breath on Potter's name," Draco said. "There is no way he's going to become a Minister while I'm in charge."

"And in the meantime, poor Ederick is running himself further and further into the ground," Arnie sighed. "You know, one of these days he's going to be out on one of these missions of his and he's going to find himself in boiling water without a team to call on. You said it yourself; DeMille wouldn't stick around if Ederick went of on one of his tangents. You need to reel him in somehow before he turns a wrong corner and gets himself killed."

"I hardly think he would get in trouble on a diplomatic mission," Draco said.

"Perhaps, but the Fomorians can be quite unpredictable at times," Severus mused. "Let me know if he is still not back before tomorrow morning. I hardly think he would intentionally miss Christmas with his family…so if he's not back someone should probably go looking for him." Arnie nodded in agreement.

"Honestly, Snape, I think right now you have other problems," Draco said, then nodded out towards the crowd. "Like what Jennifer is going to do when she sees your daughter hanging on a Muggle's arm like that."

Severus quickly turned to see that indeed Ben had arrived, gazing at him thoughtfully. Ben's hair had darkened since he had last seen him as an awkward youth, his jaw and shoulders broadened and only his eyes and odd grin seemed the same, standing half a foot taller than Alex. They looked well together, he admitted reluctantly to himself but knew better than to dwell on it. He excused himself from Draco and searched the growing crowd until he spied Jennifer standing next to Hermione and a table full of red-heads.

"Oh, there you are, Severus! Did Draco tell you about Charlie?" Jennifer asked excitedly, and Severus shook his head, glancing at Hermione who waved at him. "He's going to be taking over for the Minister of Magical Creatures and so his family is moving back to Britain in a few months."

"Now, why do I suspect that is going to lead to another Weasley invasion of Hogwarts?" Severus squinted at where Charlie and several of his children sat with Percy, Penelope and their daughter.

"Well, you're right," Hermione said with a grin. "Charlie's three youngest are transferring to Hogwarts, and of course Percy's daughter Leanne will be starting this year…"

"Five Weasleys then, counting yours," Severus said, not sounding too enthusiastic about the idea. Jennifer and Hermione grinned knowingly at each other. "You know, one of these days they are going to have to open a school just for Weasleys to keep them from overrunning Hogwarts."

"Well, don't blame me, I only had one," Hermione said. "Although honestly, I would have liked to have had at least one more, but Ron didn't want more than one," she admitted.

"Yes, there aren't any hand-me-downs that way," Severus said, the look on Hermione's face betraying how close to the mark he was on the subject. "Any sign of Dumbledore?"

"He decided to stay close to the castle, what with the flooding and everything else going on. He really didn't want to leave anyone else in charge and didn't want to bother us with it," Hermione sighed. "Ivy is there helping him, though. Still, he hasn't been the same since Fawkes died. I'm rather worried about him."

"Yes, I know," Severus said in a low voice.

"Perhaps we ought to check on him later, Severus," Jennifer suggested.

"No, it's all right, let me go," Hermione said. "I will have an easier time coming up with an excuse to check in, and it's better not to let him think we're worried about him."

"Yes, that's true. Knowing Dumbledore he would then do everything in his power to assure us everything was all right then tell us to go home," Jennifer said with a nod.

"Did Cassi Sinistra stay as well?" Severus inquired.

"Yes, actually. She was heading home but changed her mind at the last minute, why?" Hermione asked.

"Haven't you noticed that…" he paused then as he saw Jennifer's eyes squinting at the crowd in a strange way, forgetting what he was saying. "Something wrong Jennifer?"

"Who's that dancing with Alexandria? He looks familiar. Is he with the Ministry? He didn't go to Hogwarts," she asked. Severus glanced up casually.

"No, he didn't," Severus said calmly. Hermione frowned at him a second and then noted the style of his suit and tie and quickly decided she was going to go check on Joanie and Ron. "I believe he works down the street from the Ministry, actually. A salesclerk from what I understand."

"A what?" Jennifer said, stepping over to try and get a better look.

"Come over here by the entrance, Jennifer, I'm sure you'll see better from there," Severus said, taking her arm.

"At least tell me his name, Severus, because I'm sure I know that boy from somewhere," Jennifer protested, trying to shrug away.

"You may know him from the house next door to our old residence," Severus said. "Since that happens to be Benjamin Clemmons." Jennifer stopped dead in her tracks, despite Severus' further attempts to get her back into the foyer.

"Oh no. No, she wouldn't possibly do what I think she's doing," Jennifer began, causing Severus to put an arm around her and get them around the corner whether she liked it or not, despite her attempts at trying to get eye contact with her Alex. But Alexandria seemed quite oblivious to her parents' behavior at that moment, her arms wrapped around Ben's neck as they chuckled about something on the dance floor. "Severus, stop herding me about, this is serious!"

"Yes, quite serious, and they are quite serious about one another," Severus said in a low voice. "And like it or not, you are going to have to get used to the idea."

"No, she knows better than this, Severus…"

"Better than what?"

"She is a Craw…"

"She is a Snape."

"Just because she doesn't carry my name, Severus, doesn't mean she's any less a part of my family!" Jennifer said, voluntarily backing further back into the cloak room so she could raise her voice. "What do you think my Father's going to say? Do you know what happened the last time a Craw crossed the line and married outside Wizardkind?"

"As a matter of fact, I not only know, but I recall very well what happened the last time one married a half-Muggle married outside the family. And, as you already know, I was there," Severus snapped. "Shall we have another Muggle burning in his honor as well?"

"Please, Severus! That's not what I mean and you know it!" Jennifer snapped angrily. "You know very well I have lots of Muggle friends. Tons and tons…"

"So you do, as acquaintances…"

"And Corey, don't forget Corey…"

"I hardly would forget our own son, would I? Although you have been quick enough to point out on occasion that he was also the son of a Squib, which makes it right in your mind…"

"Oh, how can you say that, Severus? After everything I've done for Haven and…and everything!" Jennifer said. "Besides, this isn't about me at all, it's about what's best for Alexandria!"

"Something I think Alexandria is old enough to decide for herself," Severus said firmly.

"Well, someone should at least talk to her…"

"Talk her out of it you mean?"

"She is much too young to…to get into something like this! She's just hung up on her childhood fantasies of Muggles in general and I don't think she's thinking this all the way through," Jennifer said. "Honestly, Severus, what harm would it be in sitting down and discussing this with her before things go too far?"

"For starters, I would say because they already have gone too far," Severus said evenly. Jennifer stared at him, the blocks that had been there no longer impeding her view of his face.

"Oh, no!" Jennifer said, covering his eyes with her hands. Sighing silently, Severus drew her in her arms and didn't say anything a moment as Jennifer began to sob. "How could this have happened?"

"Well, you're the one who talked me out of locking her in a tower," Severus said gently, stroking her hair. "Jennifer, I know with Mark here you've been thinking about your year in New York quite a bit…and now I wonder if you haven't had a change of heart, about us…" Jennifer lifted her head puzzledly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Our discussion after you had regained your memory. I recall us talking about what might have happened if one of us was born Muggle…"

"Well, frankly, Severus, we probably never would have met at all," Jennifer said.

"Yes, but what if by chance we had done so, and I had been simply Mycroft?"

"Severus, you could never be simply anything," Jennifer chuckled.

"If I were, and you were still the witch you were when you first met me, would you have accepted an offer for a simple chat and a cup of coffee, let alone let it develop into anything else?" Severus asked quietly. Jennifer gazed at him for a long time, before shaking her head slightly.

"I don't know, Severus, I really don't. With everything that had been going on then with Voldemort…frankly, I think I might have been too afraid at first that I might put you in danger."

"Then what about after he was gone?" Severus asked, but Jennifer still didn't know the answer. "If fate had dealt us a different hand, the two of us may very well have let that barrier come between us, not knowing what we lost…no matter how much I think both of us truly hope we would have overcome it. And perhaps we would have…perhaps not. You are a Craw, after all," he said, Jennifer looking down.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me just now," Jennifer said quietly. "I wish…I wish it didn't bug me so much."

"It's the generations of Craws behind you that is as much to blame, Jennifer," Severus said, handing her a handkerchief for her eyes. "And, to be perfectly honest, the influences of my own ancestors are hardly being quiet on this issue either. All the same, I would prefer that the children don't have the same ghosts haunting them as we do."

"Do you suppose Dad will disown us for allowing it?" Jennifer wondered as they walked out of the closet, ignoring the curious glances passed in their direction.

"Do you suppose Fleur would allow him to?" Severus murmured back as they stepped back in and searched the room for Alex and Ben. They spotted them then over by the refreshment table, and reluctantly Jennifer walked over with him, the couple exchanging a glance of their own.

"Mum, Father, you remember Ben, right? From Haven's Bluff?" Alexandria said uncomfortably.

"Of course," Jennifer said, smiling warmly. "And how is your mother doing, Ben?"

"No idea, really. We haven't spoken since July, actually," Ben admitted, grinning uneasily despite the stunned look on Jennifer's face and Severus' slight frown. "My sister's doing well though, if the Christmas card is any indication."

"Ben and I met again over the summer," Alexandria said.

"Oh yes, I think you mentioned it once, although you never did bring it up again," Jennifer said, smiling questioningly at her.

"I am certain it merely slipped her mind, Jennifer," Severus interrupted expressionlessly. "Perhaps you should invite him over to the house sometime before you go back to school so we can all get properly reacquainted."

"Yes, how about New Year's? We can make a fresh start of things," Jennifer offered.

"Great, that'd be fine, thanks," Ben said with a nervous grin.

"Good, then we shall leave you two alone then," Severus said with a smile that seemed to indicate that he wouldn't have, had they not agreed. "Come along, Jennifer, let's go attract some more unwanted attention," he said, leading her out on the dance floor.

The moment they turned, Alex hugged Ben in relief.

"Stars, I think that was the scariest moment I've ever had in my life!" Alex declared.

As Severus turned to his wife and took her other hand, he could tell that she wasn't doing much better.

"I hope I never have to go through something like that, again," Jennifer declared.

"Then I have news for you, Jennifer. We still have three more children to go through," Severus said, Jennifer groaning audibly in response as he led her around the dance floor. "I must admit, however, that you handled the situation perfectly."

"Perhaps on the outside, but inside I was reeling from what I saw in that boy's eyes," Jennifer admitted softly. "Apparently his mother wasn't any more thrilled with the idea of them being together than I was. In fact, she intentionally lost the Muggle address to the school hoping they would grow apart. That's why they're not speaking."

"Yes, I know. Aren't you glad now that you didn't go that route? We could have lost our daughter. Now we're simply going to gain…"

"Please, Severus, please don't say it!" Jennifer begged.

"Very well, I'll humor you for now. Until he proposes," he decided, causing her to scowl.

"Severus, if I didn't know better, I would think you were enjoying my discomfort about all of this!" Jennifer said accusingly.

"When I tell you the story of what she put me through later, I think you will forgive me," Severus said in a low voice, leading her around the dance floor.

But they hadn't been dancing for very long when a loud whistle suddenly reverberated through the room, the music falling silent as everyone stared in surprise at Doug Brim, standing in the doorway wearing his Musketeer colors.

"Calling all Snapes! Birthday party impending at Athos' house! I'd hurry if I were you," he added. As everyone began to talk at once, Jennifer zoomed for the door, Severus quickly gathered the rest of them and followed behind. It seemed that the night's adventures weren't over quite yet after all.


	22. An Argument for Fate

Chapter Twenty-Two

An Argument for Fate

Within minutes, the entire family was standing out in the rain-sloshed streets of Hogsmeade, stepping up as Essie quickly opened the door to let them in.

"Good evening! No, it's all right, Doctor Sagittari is with her in Ashley's room," Essie said. "I'm afraid Corey's a bit of a mess, though," she murmured to Jennifer and Severus as she gestured to the hall to where Corey paced. Severus immediately went over, while Jennifer was distracted by Essie's daughter Winnie who was doing everything in her power to get everyone's attention from where she stood in the crib. Alex quickly went over to her. "Care for some coffee?"

"Sure, let me help you," Jennifer said as the others made themselves comfortable in the living room; Andrew and Alicia peering curiously in the pile of packages for the Owl Post to see if any of their names were on them while Aurelius looked out one of the open windows distractedly.

"You really didn't have to bring everyone out here in this, you know," Corey said after Severus had stood there for a while.

"Do you truly think I could have stopped them from coming?" Severus asked expressionlessly. "So you were banished to the hall, I understand."

"He said I was in the way," Corey growled. "Never mind that his bloody horse's ass takes up most of the room!"

"No one ever said you had to keep him as your family doctor," Severus said in a low voice. "And I believe what he truly wants is for you to pull yourself together."

"But why did it have to be tonight?" Corey snapped, pacing again. "Why couldn't it have been yesterday, or a week ago? Perhaps she can hold out until tomorrow?" Severus glanced at his watch and shook his head doubtfully.

A sound made Corey jump, looking down the hall to see Doug, Danny and Taylor had come in. Sighing, Corey began to pace again, but Severus merely stood and watched him, knowing there was nothing he could say that would help him with what he was going through.

"Sticking it out here, I see," Danny said, hugging Corey when they came over.

"I told them to go to St. Mungo's. They'd sedate Athos real good there," Doug said.

"I don't need to be sedated!" Corey snarled, his friends sharing a private smile.

"Fresh coffee anyone?" Jennifer suggested, from the kitchen door.

"None for Athos," Doug decided. "Coming to join the throng?"

"No…I'd rather keep busy," Jennifer decided disappearing back inside.

"Perhaps we should sit down instead of crowding the hall," Danny suggested. "Come on, Athos, it'll go much faster if you'd relax."

"I'd prefer to stay here in case someone needs me," Corey said curtly, his friends stepping aside so he could lengthen his pace. "Wait a minute, what's that? Everyone be quiet!"

"You are the only one who's been talking," Doug pointed out, getting hushed again. Just then the door of the bedroom opened and a very solemn centaur came out, gazing at each one.

"I do not think all of us can fit in this all at the same time," Sagittari decided.

"Never mind that! How is she?"

"If you mean your wife, she is doing well. If you mean your daughter, she also seems to be doing well," Sagittari said solemnly. Blinking once, Corey somehow managed to get past the doctor, while the centaur managed to somehow maneuver around the hovering crowd and into the kitchen.

"Well, I guess that means you're Grandpa Snape, then, eh, Grandpa?" Doug said cheerfully as Severus forced a thin smile on his face.

"You never did know when to keep quiet, did you, Mr. Brim?" Severus said.

"Sure I do. You won't hear me mentioning it to Jennifer," Doug said snidely, getting a jab in the side by Taylor.

"Wise move," Severus agreed, gently pushing the door slightly to try and get a peek in, a moment later Jennifer was behind him insisting he got out of the way, and making such a fuss that Ashley came out, closing the door behind her with a smile.

"Well, don't just stand there like the cat that ate the canary, we want to see her too!" Jennifer said impatiently.

"I think Corey needs a moment alone with his daughter first, I promise I will bring her out in a moment," Ashley said.

"Oh, no you don't, you've had time with her all ready. I've a right to see my granddaughter too!" she pleaded.

"All the sudden she wants to be a grandmother?" Danny teased Jennifer.

"How is Corey?" Severus asked thoughtfully.

"Sobbing profusely still, now please have the decency to let the man regain himself," Ashley said.

"He must be really upset, her being born tonight of all nights," Taylor murmured, glancing at his friends.

"On the contrary, I think that was nothing more than a miracle," Ashley said with a smile, looking around as she heard the door behind her. A moment later, Corey appeared with a bundle in hand and a strange grin on his face. But Corey didn't hold her for very long before he found himself handing her to Jennifer who looked as if she were going to burst if she had to wait a second more.

"Mom, meet Natalie Aine Willowby…Natalie meet…well, whatever you want to be called…"

"Natalie! How perfect!" Jennifer decided brightly. "We couldn't have had a nicer Christmas present! Severus, isn't she perfect? She needs to meet her aunts and uncles," she decided, whisking her off to the living room.

"Fifteen minutes into the world and already whisked away from me," Corey said, shaking his head as he waved his friends to join her.

"Get used to the feeling," Severus advised dryly. "Still sorry about the date?" Corey took a deep breath then, to keep back the tears threatening to well up again.

"She has my Mum's eyes," Corey murmured, looking towards the crowd in the front room distantly, and the decorations lining the walls. "You know, Dad, I know you don't take much stock in the whole Fate thing, and God knows it has done its share of smacking us around from time to time, and yet I can't help but feel that this was too significant to be a coincidence. For the first time since I was twelve years old, I actually feel complete at Christmas…truly complete," he said, his voice turning into a whisper as his throat tightened. "I need to see Rose," Corey decided and slipped away again.

But before Severus himself turned into the front room, he spied the centaur standing outside the kitchen door and went to join him where he stood still, looking up into the rainy sky and at the glow of the moon behind the clouds.

"Not a good night to read the stars," Severus said quietly.

"Even if there were no clouds, it would not be a good night to read them," Sagittari said quietly. "But I must at least attempt it, despite the fact that the heavens no longer heed us."

"Was it spoken of at your Constellation's meeting this Solstice?" Severus asked softly.

"There was no meeting," Sagittari said quietly. Severus turned and frowned at him concernedly, but Sagittari kept his eyes on the sky. "There was no meeting, for the winter Solstice has not yet been reached. The days grow shorter still, Severus."

"How can that be possible?" Severus murmured, despite the fact that he had suspected it himself.

"I do not know," Sagittari admitted, his voice still gravely solemn. "But we have decided not to meet until the shortest day finally happens…even if that means, as many believe, the end of everything. We are but insignificant beings, truly, within our vast universe. What can we mere mortals do if these really are merely symptoms that it is failing?"

"Whatever is causing this, Ciardoth is behind it," Severus said firmly. "And if she has the power to cause it, we have the power to correct it."

"Let us hope so," Sagittari nodded. "I would like to believe that our newest arrival has more of a future than this darkness."

Severus really didn't feel much like going back in after that, although he knew very well he could hardly stand in the rain for hours, either, despite the fact that the doctor showed no signs of moving himself. Reluctantly he found his way into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, but he wasn't in there long before Jennifer wandered in.

"Oh, Severus! You're all wet! And what are you doing sulking in here, don't you want to hold your granddaughter?" she scolded him.

"I doubt she's going anywhere anytime soon. I think I can spare a cup of coffee first," Severus decided. "Besides, I was under the impression that you were not in any hurry to become a grandmother."

"Well, perhaps I wasn't," Jennifer admitted, pulling out her pocket mirror. "To be perfectly honest, it's just getting old that I mind…is that a wrinkle?"

"Oh, no, here we go again," Severus groaned.

"Well, maybe I should have one. I don't look like a grandmother…I don't feel like one either, really…"

"Jennifer…" Severus began but then paused when he noticed someone approaching and saw Aurelius. "Yes?"

"Mind if I run to Toby's real quick to see if the shop is there? I'll only be ten minutes," Aurelius said.

"But it's Christmas Eve!" Jennifer protested.

"Five minutes," Severus said sternly. Aurelius didn't argue; he merely nodded and left, while Jennifer looked at Severus curiously. "I am rather interested to find out if he's there as well. I would like a word with him myself."

"Well, you're not doing anything else tonight until you come in and hold Natalie," Jennifer said stubbornly, coaxing him into the living room and taking the baby from Essie, plopping her in Severus' arms.

"Well, he's definitely become an old pro at this, hasn't he?" Essie teased lightly when she saw how quickly Severus adjusted her in his arms.

"Someone get a camera," Doug suggested.

"Don't even think about it," Severus warned, several of the others laughing.

"You know, we should probably get her settled. She's had far too much excitement for her first day," Ashley said anxiously.

"Yes, you are probably right," Severus agreed, taking her to the back himself.

"So, does it feel as strange as you to be a grandmother as it does me?" Jennifer asked Ashley in a low voice, handing her a fresh cup of coffee.

"I suppose," Ashley said distantly. Jennifer gazed at her with concern. "There will be plenty to do around here, I'm sure, now," she said, but Jennifer smiled knowingly and nodded.

"I know, I feel sort of lost too," Jennifer admitted in a voice low enough that no one else could hear. But Ashley turned to look out the window, not wanting to betray any more of her own thoughts.

* * *

Aurelius dodged as many puddles as possible as he ran to Toby's Tinker Shop, now visible in the distance, its lanterns unmistakably lit. Taking a moment to make sure there was no mud on his shoes he walked in, ignoring whatever signage Toby had put up for the evening. The Tinker, who had been reading a book behind the counter in an otherwise empty shop, looked up with a warm smile when Aurelius came in, taking off his glasses and looking over at him with icy blue eyes.

"Why, Mr. Snape, you are looking quite festive this evening. And what have you there on your feet?" Toby asked innocently.

"Honestly, I don't know exactly why I decided to try them on today," Aurelius said with a shrug.

"Perhaps just because you were ready," Toby smiled and nodded.

"Maybe. I've had some strange revelations lately," Aurelius admitted, coming over to the counter.

"Such as?" Toby asked with open interest.

"Well, I guess the main one that has come up…for other members of my family as well as myself…not naming any names…"

"Of course not," Toby waved him to continue.

"Well, that just because an idea or a way of thinking has worked effectively for a group of people or a family in the past doesn't mean it's effective now," Aurelius said.

"If that is your way of declaring that all that matters is what you do in the present, Mr. Snape, I believe you are very much on the right path…and now you have the shoes to prove it. I hope that means you've finally learned to live with yourself."

"Well, maybe not completely," Aurelius admitted. "But I'm learning."

"Good! Then maybe I can start concentrating on getting your father on the right path," Toby said mischievously, pulling out a wrapped pink parcel from under the counter. "I don't suppose since you're here that you'd be willing to deliver a present to Natalie for me?"

"Word travels fast, I see, considering that Rose hadn't made up her mind on a name until today," Aurelius said. "Or is it something you had already remembered?"

"You should always ask a lot of questions, Aurelius, it really is the best way to get answers, even if they're not answered directly," Toby advised. But while Aurelius was still attempting to figure out if there was a hidden answer in that, they heard the bell at the door and Albus Dumbledore walked in wearing an unusually long brimmed hat in a vain attempt to keep the rain off of his beard. With a simple shake of the hat and a brush of his overcoat, however, his clothes became dry once more. "Ah, here you are at last! I've been expecting you," Toby said.

Aurelius watched the Headmaster carefully as he walked up to the counter with a distant look in his eyes. He missed a step when he saw Aurelius but quickly recovered and gazed at him curiously.

"Happy Christmas, Toby, Aurelius. Were you and your parents not going to the Ministry Ball this evening?"

"Yes, but we were called away when Rose went into labor. She had a girl, Natalie," Aurelius explained.

"Really? Well, perhaps I should stop by tomorrow then! I would stop by now, but I still have much too many errands to run tonight," Albus admitted, Toby smiling at him knowingly.

"So you really are Father Christmas after all then, Professor?" Aurelius asked daringly. Toby laughed at that.

"Perhaps every now and then," Albus said with an enigmatic smile, gently lifting a basket with a large reddish-golden egg off the counter. "But now I really must finish my business with Mr. Toby, for I really do have much to do."

"Sure," Aurelius said, accepting the parcel from Toby. "Happy Christmas, sir, Professor."

"And to you as well. Oh, and let your father know that I'll be available when he needs me but there's no rush yet," Toby told Aurelius, waving him out the door before turning to Dumbledore. "Well! I don't suppose I need to send along a list of instructions of what to do with that."

"No thank you. I'd prefer to write him myself," Albus said, gazing into his pouch of galleons with a frown. "Do you know, I really don't like putting a price on this. I rather think that ultimately I really don't have enough were I to close every vault I own."

"Then you will just have to accept it as a gift, I suppose," Toby shrugged.

"I can hardly do that either," Albus said.

"Not even on his behalf?"

"Especially not on his behalf," Albus protested.

"Then perhaps on behalf of your world," Toby said gently. "For if ever it needed a flicker of hope in the last ten thousand years I've experienced it, now would run a close second."

"I don't suppose I need ask what the first time was," Albus said thoughtfully, helping Toby cover the egg in a small cozy quilt.

"Yes, I believe you've already heard of that event," Toby said with a smile. "Happy Christmas, Albus."

"Thank you, Happy Christmas," Albus said.

Toby watched the Headmaster walk out of the store and disappear into the rain, but he didn't bother to take up his book again, for he knew there wouldn't be time.

Sure enough, only a couple of minutes later, the third customer he had been waiting on that evening walked in the door. With a small basket in hand, Ashley arrived, immediately taking off her rain bonnet open entering. Toby greeted her warmly, standing and gesturing her over to the counter.

"I hope I'm not troubling you," Ashley said, glancing at the basket before placing it on the counter. "Aurelius mentioned you were here and it suddenly occurred to me you might be stuck here alone."

"Ah, no man is an island, is that it?" Toby smiled mischievously. "Well, if that is true, I will admit to being on a peninsula with a very narrow causeway, waiting for the next wave." Ashley laughed and shook her head.

"Oh, come now. I don't really believe that," she said.

"Then you're a very kindhearted and intelligent woman, but I'll forgive you for both of your vices since you are the first person who has given me a gift since…well, it's rather hard to remember exactly when actually," Toby said, apparently thinking quite hard about it while nibbling on a biscuit from the basket.

"Then it has been far too long, especially after all you've done here," Ashley said.

"I do hope you don't mean that as an accusation," Toby chuckled. "Care for some tea? Now where did I put that teapot," he wondered, looking around.

"I'll take a rain check," Ashley laughed.

"Well, considering how much it's been raining, I suppose it's warranted," he decided. "But I should do something for you, you see, it's only fair with you going to the trouble of the basket and all."

"No, it's no trouble really. Actually, you're doing me a favor just by being here, it gave me a reason to go for a walk," Ashley admitted. "You see, my daughter had her baby tonight."

"Did she now? Well, that's splendid, and on Christmas Eve too."

"Yes, it was providence if you ask me…well, if you believe in that sort of thing…"

"It does come up from time to time," Toby admitted. "Although it makes me wonder all the more why you wanted to be here."

"Well, would you believe I felt like I was in the way?" Ashley said, leaning on the counter with a sigh. "Felt like? _Do_ feel like is what I should say. But I'm sure you don't want to hear about all that."

"No, please go on, I have an ear or two to spare," he insisted politely, and she let out a short sigh.

"Well, I suppose it was all well and fine when it was just the three of us, my daughter and her husband and myself, as it were…and I am positively thrilled to have a granddaughter. But tonight when I held my granddaughter for the first time, I realized that once my daughter gets back to her feet again that she, Corey and the baby were going to need the time and room to stub their toes and figure out this whole parenting thing without me being constantly in the way. Oh, don't get me wrong, I want to help…in fact, I need to help, that's always been my problem, and I'm afraid I'll help too much. Not to mention, I also don't want to end up being a burden to them either."

"Goodness, Ms. Bailey, you are anything but a burden to them as much effort as you have put into the shop as you have."

"Perhaps not before," Ashley murmured. "But now that the business is strong enough to stand on its own and my daughter having her own child to take care of, things are different. They don't need me any more…not truly, and I don't want them to have to plan their lives around me."

"Like you had to with your grandfather?" Toby asked quietly.

"I loved him, Mr. Toby, I really did," Ashley said. "He was there for me when there was no one else. I was barely out of school when I became pregnant, very much like Rose, only with nowhere to turn after my husband died. But Grandfather was there and took me in, so I wiped off my slate of dreams and ambitions, pulled up my sleeves, and became an alchemist's assistant…which honestly wasn't a bad life for that, not even at the end. And yet now as I look over my life I see four decades of living and very little to show for it besides a daughter who can stand on her own now. My life has always been devoted to family. I know nothing else, and I don't really want to leave it either but I also need to feel needed. Two months into forty, and already I feel like my life is over and I have no direction other than the fact that I don't feel like I'm serving a purpose anymore."

"Tell me, Ashley, before you wiped your slate, what did you want to do with your life?" Toby asked.

"Well, like any other backwater country girl, I wanted a large family and a noisy house…perhaps open a daycare for the neighborhood and take them all on long nature outings, and always busy with something to do…but never too busy to spend time with Ryan. But that didn't happen…we didn't have the time, or anything else," Ashley murmured. Toby patted her hand gently.

"My dear, you are much too young to spend so much time reminiscing on the past," he chided her. "The present is all that truly matters, and right now it is opening for you in any direction you would like to take it."

"But that's just it, Mr. Toby. I have no sense of direction," Ashley said with a chuckle. "I don't suppose you have anything in this store that would help me with that!"

"Well, I could offer you a suggestion on something, I'm sure, of course whether or not you'd accept it is entirely up to you," Mr. Toby said.

"What sort of suggestion?" Ashley asked curiously.

"A business proposition of sorts," Toby said taking out a small blank card and a quill and writing something on it. "But I really don't think here and now is appropriate for that. I am prepared, however, to make you a very straightforward offer to provide you with a possible direction mutually beneficial both of us…if you agree to meet me for lunch, perhaps? Later this week?"

"Any obligations?"

"None whatsoever," he promised with a smile, handing out the card with a time, date and place. Feeling strangely timid, Ashley managed to talk herself into reaching up and taking it, wondering about the weird tingling sense of déjà vu she was getting. "Now, then, I'm sure your daughter and son-in-law will begin to worry if you're gone too long, not that that's necessarily a good thing," he added mischievously. "But after all, it is Christmas, and I do hope it will be a happy one."

"For some reason, I do feel better already," Ashley said with a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Toby."

"Tut, save it for when I've actually done something to deserve it, my dear," he protested, walking her to the door.

As Ashley put on her bonnet and walked out into the rain, Toby watched her walk down the street. Catching himself attempting to pull on his own beard despite the fact that he didn't have one, Toby chuckled to himself and walked back inside.

* * *

Ginny sighed loudly after she had sat up from where she had fallen asleep on the couch, pushing her hair back as she tried to focus her eyes in the dim light.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, making Harry stop in his tracks. He had slipped off his shoes at the door and was trying to cross into the kitchen when she spotted him, but was now frozen like a startled buck in the forest. "Any sign of Thurspire?"

"He hadn't come in yet, no, but I heard from another Auror that DeMille saw a post from him come in tonight. It was signed 'for the Minister of Magic's eyes' only…who of course left the office hours ago. I saw Megan though; she and her daughter were keeping Anna company."

"Sirius still hasn't come out his depression yet?" Ginny asked. Harry shook his head.

"Can anyone really blame him? He has trouble telling his nightmares from reality, and yet in some of the cases, the reality is the harder pill to swallow. If only he could see how much he has going for him now…how his friends and family are there standing right with him…but all he could see is that two people died because of one of his nightmares, despite the fact that even the Ministry knows it was manipulation," Harry said, shaking his head. "I'm really worried about him, now more than ever," he admitted. "But then with everything going on, I'm worried about everything. I wouldn't be surprised if the world decided to pick this moment to just split apart."

"Not on Christmas," Ginny said, kissing him lovingly.

"Is it?" Harry said, glancing at the clock and then grinning, putting his arms around her. "Well then, Happy Christmas. Time to open presents. So where are you hiding them?" He asked and attempted to check under her night robe, her squealing protest only getting him more interested as she playfully tried to bat and kick at him.

"Aha! A slipper, maybe it's in here," he said, raising a brow at the furry pink thing before chucking it behind the couch.

"Harry, stop it! You're going to wake up the children!"

"Well, you're the one squealing…Ginny…hey, watch where you are putting that foot! I'm going to get my wand…"

"Which one?" she laughed, but was backed up to the armrest now, and so with nowhere else to go, the two went tumbling to the floor. But despite the fact that the move to the floor seemed to give Harry the advantage against her squirming, he suddenly found himself distracted by a rather small basket with an overly large egg in it.

"What's that?" Harry wondered out loud.

"You don't know?" Ginny asked flirtatiously.

"No I meant…um…hold that thought a moment. Don't go anywhere," Harry said, crawling over to it curiously. Ginny rolled on her side and proper her head up in her hand, exasperated as she watched him untie the small card on the basket.

"So, who's it for?" Ginny asked.

"Apparently it's for me. Looks like Dumbledore's handwriting…it is, there's his private signature," Harry said, unfolding the card. "'Place the basket and the egg in a lit fireplace and stand back. Happy Christmas,'" he read.

"In a lit fireplace? He wants you to burn it?" Ginny said dubiously, but Harry was shaking his head in disbelief.

"No, it can't be what I think it is," Harry murmured.

"What is it, Harry?" Ginny asked. Harry gazed at her thoughtfully then grabbed the basket and went over to the living room fireplace, setting several logs on the glowing embers. A moment later, when the fire was going strong, Harry carefully put the basket in and waited, watching as the flames finally began to black and catch on the dry straw.

Suddenly, the entire thing burst into roaring flames with such intensity that Harry and Ginny both had to back away further, shielding their eyes from the blaze until it abruptly died down, the fire's full energy spent in those few quick seconds. A strange noise came from the fireplace then, and the two of them stared in amazement at the newly hatched Phoenix chick nestled in the ashes.


	23. The Coin Toss

_A/N Status Report...after blocking out the last few chapters, (I have 6.5 more chapters to write in a week. yikes.) This looks at this point that it will be a thirty-five chapter book...so twelve more...what does that mean? Make sure you're bookmarking or otherwise checking your last chapter place, because Hufflepuff's Obol is fortelling multiple chapters coming out in the days ahead. It's a daunting amount of work ahead to get it done in time...but I'll do what I can, as will by alpha reader (if he don't strangle me first (g)) Thanks...JCWriter. _

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Coin Toss

"And just who's brilliant idea was this…thing?"

Severus held up the black satin brocade dress robes he found in a box under the tree, holding them up distastefully by the tips of his thumbs and pointer fingers as if afraid to get any closer to them. Aurelius and Andrew sniggered audibly, as much because of his reaction as of the style.

"It wasn't me, Severus, I swear," Jennifer said, making a point of crossing her heart, trying very hard to keep a straight face. "Although, I do have to admit you really did need new dress robes…"

"Thank you, but I like the ones I have. This is only fit for the dustbin…"

"Oh, Severus, really, don't throw it out, even if you don't wear it! It looks expensive, and who knows whom you're offending!"

"Yes, it may be a trick. Perhaps it's cursed…"

"Now, you know perfectly well we go through all the presents when they arrive at midnight," Jennifer said. The faint irritation present in her voice was enough to cause Severus to sigh and put it aside. "Besides, it never hurts to have some spare dress robes for emergencies."

"There would never be that much of an emergency," Severus said, "but I suppose I can keep it, although I would like to know exactly who it is who we're not supposed to offend, considering everyone close to us would know I wouldn't wear anything that flamboyant."

"Well, I like it," Jennifer decided as she picked it up and neatly refolded it. "Who's next?" All of them began to talk at once, looking at the waiting boxes in their hands when Severus put up a hand.

"I think your mother ought to be next," he said over their voices, the others immediately settling. "And I get to pick which one."

"The man won't wear brocade, but always insists to make us sit through his incredibly sentimental and sometimes sappy choices in gifts," Aurelius smirked.

"And you may keep that opinion to yourself for at least two more years until you're on your own, thank you," Severus said, searching under the tree thoughtfully.

"They will always be here for Christmas, though," Jennifer said fervently, "I hope?"

"Of course we will, Mum," Alex said sincerely.

"I call bracelets!" Andrew said out of the blue, then, and in a protest, Andrew picked necklace and Alicia, left with no better options, chose rings.

"Hardly fair, Mum still won't get her ears pierced," Alex said. "Fine, I'll say a hair ornament."

"Do you really think I'm that predictable?" Severus scowled, finally drawing out a box. As all four of them began answering and nodding, Severus made a face and handed the box to Jennifer. "Fine, it's a hair ornament," he admitted irritably as she opened it. Alex looked smug, the other three grinning at her. "But it's not just from me, either."

"A Dragonscale haircomb! I've always wanted one of these! My mother had one when I was little that looked just like it…in fact, I got in trouble once for losing one of the pearls off of it," Jennifer said.

"So your father told me," Severus said. "But as you can see, it has since been repaired." Jennifer blinked and then gaped at him outright. "Apparently it was in Audacious Belle's vault. Your father recognized it and had me help him buy it back from the estate." Jennifer held it to her a moment and then hugged Severus outright, a round of sighs coming out from the children.

"See? Sentimental," Aurelius said.

"At least it was a Dragonscale item already in the country," Alex put in. "You can get in an awful lot of trouble from importing them with all the sanctions and all…"

"Alex, two summers interning at the Ministry does not make you an expert in Ministry law," Aurelius said bluntly.

"All right, that's enough, both of you," Severus warned them, Jennifer still leaning on him and holding her comb tightly. "Alicia, why don't you go next?"

"Paints," Aurelius barked out before anyone else could.

"Too small to be canvas…um…sketchbooks?" Andrew thought quickly.

"Fine, I call new brushes then," Alex said.

"Maybe our Christmases are getting rather predictable after all," Severus murmured in annoyance.

"Good! It's about time something in our lives is," Jennifer said contentedly before going back to watching the rest of the presents opened.

Alicia did end up as it turned out with the same number of art supplies, dresses (many of which, to her dismay, weren't black,) and token jewelry pieces that she did every year, but no one really knew that she privately felt like she was missing something…or, in fact, something from someone. Even a card would have sufficed, she thought, perhaps even hand-drawn, which she could add to her collection of Pyther originals. Perhaps he hadn't had time after he had gotten her card…or maybe he thought her idea of a gift was silly. She was just a student, after all, so the offer of doing a portrait of him was probably very bold. Of course, Alicia had always been bold about things; she was a Snape, after all.

Alicia heard her name called and looked at the time, reluctantly coming out of her room and down the stairs to join the others lined up looking either unusually bored or unusually serious, and perhaps a little of each.

"Jennifer, please, they are more than old enough to housesit for one afternoon," Severus sighed.

"Honestly, Mum, what do you think we're going to do? Wait until you're gone and throw a wild party or something?" Alex said, getting a hard elbow from Aurelius. Jennifer frowned and looked between the two of them nervously, while Andrew and Alicia merely smirked.

"You are not to have anyone over while we're not at home…and that goes double for you, Alexandria," Severus said firmly, squinting at her. Alex folded her arms. "I don't want anything untoward going on in the presence of your other siblings."

"Severus!" Jennifer said in shock at what she read from his face.

"No guests," Severus said. "And if you do need to vacate, I'm sure you all know the drill."

"Harry's first, then Corey's, then the castle," Aurelius droned.

"And if all that fails, we can come to New York to find you, right?" Alex said brightly.

"I am beginning to like your idea of giving them Sleeping Potions, Severus," Jennifer said.

"We have to trust them sometime," Severus said with a sigh. "It's only for a few hours. We'll be back in time to spend Christmas dinner together, so I expect you get the living room in some sort of order by then and gifts neatly back under the tree to keep the Elves from attempting to pick through it to figure out what they're supposed to save and what gets thrown out."

"Hardly the House Elves' fault, Severus, they really ought to be more careful with their presents," Jennifer put in.

"We'll be all right, Father, just go have fun and relax for a few hours," Andrew insisted.

"And you make sure there's something left in the house to eat when we get back," Severus said dryly, Andrew grinning in response. "And as for you…no traveling in paintings short of an emergency." Alicia saluted him mockingly, causing Severus to roll his eyes. "Come along, Jennifer, I'm sure the Kinglers are waiting for us by now."

"I don't know, Severus, perhaps we really ought to stay home, After all it's Christmas…"

"We already promised them we would come visit them," Severus said. "They are very well capable of taking care of themselves. See you this evening," he added, nodding to the children. Alex walked behind them and closed the door, turning around with a look of pure relief.

"Thank God, they're actually gone!" Alex exclaimed.

"I'm surprised they didn't think of chaining us up somewhere in Azkaban for the duration," Alicia put in.

"Well, with everything going on with Ciardoth and all, it's not all that surprising they'd be nervous, is it?" Andrew said diplomatically.

"Andrew, even if there weren't ever any evil psycho killers or old Death Eaters or beings accidentally released from other worlds constantly trying to kill us, our parents would still treat us like we were two years old," Aurelius said. "For once, how about we stay put and give them a reason not to keep thinking it?"

"Actually, Rel, they didn't say anything about staying put," Alex pointed out. "All they said was no visitors and don't use the paintings. They didn't say we couldn't go anywhere. And on that note, I'm going to Ben's."

"Alicia, want to go to Aviation Park with me to test out my new broom?" Andrew suggested.

"Hold it, hold it, hold it! Alex, I think that 'staying put' was an understood rule."

"I am not going to spend my entire Christmas away from Ben. Besides, he says he has a gift for me. His note said he didn't want to send it with the delivery," she explained.

"Uh, oh, you know what that means. It means he probably has something he wants to ask you with it," Andrew said.

"Now, let's not get carried away," Alex said quickly. "I'm sure that's not it….I mean, we've only just gotten to know each other again, really, and…I gotta go," she said suddenly, bolting out the door. Aurelius shook his head, closing the door behind her.

"The older she gets the more air manages to seep in between her ears. I hope he knows what he's getting himself into," Aurelius said.

"I think he knows," Andrew smiled. "So, Rel, you want to go to the broom park with us? There's bound to be plenty from Hogwarts there today."

"Fine, but let's pick up around the tree first so we don't forget to do it," Aurelius said. "Come on, Alicia. Put down the sketchbook and get a bag for all this paper."

"You know, I think I might keep swatches of some of these…I rather like some of the prints," Alicia said more to herself than to the others.

"Just don't get carried away," Aurelius sighed, shaking out some of the larger wads to make sure no tiny pieces were in any of them. Andrew was especially careful; for he had quite a few tiny pieces in a kit Alex had gotten him for his miniatures.

"Hang on, there's an unopened card here under the window," Andrew said, peering up to see the window was partially open. "Must have come in late. Rather heavy."

"Careful with that, Andrew. It may not have been checked yet," Aurelius warned, coming over to him.

"Well, it has your name on it," Andrew said.

"All the more reason to be careful," Aurelius said. Andrew rolled his eyes and put the card down as Aurelius took out his wand and ran a few checks on it.

"This is really sad. I wonder how many other families out there feel like they have to run a test on Christmas presents," Alicia said with annoyance, but the other two ignored her as Aurelius curiously opened up the card. Something began to slide out of it and Aurelius had to act fast to catch it, feeling a strange tingle in his hand when he touched the heavy disk.

"I don't believe it!" Aurelius said in awe as he stared at the coin. It was nearly as heavy as a Galleon, but the artwork was much more ornate. Greek characters ran along the outside of both the front and back. "This is it, I'm sure of it! Alicia, look!"

"That looks like the ancient ruins on Delphi, the center place of oracles in the ancient world! What's on the back?" she asked excitedly, and they turned it to see a skeletal figure covered in a shroud, standing in a boat.

"Charon," Aurelius said.

"Wow, no bones about it then," Andrew said, receiving dirty looks for the pun. "This is Hufflepuff's Obol."

"But how? Who gave it to you? And why did they give it to you? I was the one looking for it," Alicia said, slightly annoyed by that fact. "Can I see it closer?"

"Hang on a moment," Aurelius said, palming it as he took out a letter folded in the holiday card.

Aurelius- Stock and I have been talking a lot lately, and he happened to mention to me in the course of the conversations that you and the others were searching for an old coin. Well, let me back up…you know how there are all those sealed passages that used to lead to the common room? Well, I don't suppose you've ever had reason to go down them, but often some of the housemates take some of the girls there to actually get in a conversation without a jeering committee. Anyhow, near the one that should go to the far end of the dungeon is an old statue of Slytherin…Dad told me it was once rumored that his pointer finger showed where the Chamber of Secrets was until Potter bonked that theory. Well, as it so happened, about a year and a half ago just after the talent show, Eigil had helped set me up with this girl I wanted to see…doesn't matter who, really, didn't work out. Anyhow, I was explaining the whole slight-of-hand thing that your sister had attempted and was using the statue as a sort of prop when I found this coin hidden in it. 

_I would be lying if I said I haven't tried using it, but I've found it very unlucky for me, for I found out I was capable of doing a lot of things that I'm not proud of. Still, maybe it'll be lucky for you. It tells the future…at least, the future of whoever uses it. Just flip it, but be careful what you ask…I learned the hard way that you won't always like the answer. Sometimes it's just best not to know what's coming. But you always were the cautious sort, so I'm sure it'll be okay. And last of all, I want to say that I am giving it to you freely as a gift, although I will be the first to admit that I wouldn't mind having my old dorm room back either. Sincerely- Hephaestus._

"Now how was it, I wonder, that Professor Dusthorn wasn't aware that Heph had the coin the entire time?" Aurelius said irritably. "There are paintings all over that castle."

"Maybe she did," Alicia agreed with a sigh. "Father did say that Dusthorn likes to manipulate people."

"She might have been worried about being in Heph's hands. He's not exactly known for his common sense," Andrew said.

"Just flip it and be careful what to ask," Aurelius murmured, glancing at them thoughtfully.

"Go ahead, I'll cover," Andrew offered, getting out his wand.

"I suppose since it is a coin, it would give yes and no answers, right?" Alicia put in, getting out her own wand.

"That would make sense," Aurelius said. "Considering Charon represents death, I assume that's 'no' and Delphi Oracle is 'yes.' Let's start with something simple then. Do you suppose I ask first, or while it's in the air?"

"Probably while it's in the air," Andrew said with a nod.

"Alright, here it goes then," Aurelius said, flipping the coin in the air. But even as he took a breath to quickly spit out his question, he stopped in awe as he saw that the coin hovered in mid-air, spinning faster and faster while the astral face of a woman in an ornate mask drifted around it.

"Is this normal?" Andrew asked in a low voice. Alicia shrugged at him. "So? Ask it something?"

"Should we go to the park?" Aurelius said as clearly as he could. The coin began to fall then and Aurelius caught it in his hand, the other two gathering around as they saw it was the picture of the ruins. Just then, however, the ruins began to twist around on the surface of the coin and then cleared to show a picture. "It's North Broom," Aurelius said in amazement as the strange view panned around the park.

"But I wanted to go to Aviation," Alicia said in annoyance.

"Look, there's you, Alicia," Andrew said, as the view turned towards her. "You're moving your mouth but not saying anything. No wait, you just took off somewhere...where are you going?"

"How do you expect me to know? I hardly even know what I said," Alicia said, "not that one can expect a coin to have sound…" but then Aurelius let out a gasp so uncharacteristic that the two of them peered in. "A giant!"

"A giant! A giant at North Broom?" Andrew said, as a very ferocious figure came into view. Andrew stared as he watched himself run into view with his wand in hand and began to run towards him, the scene suddenly shaking strangely as the coin seemed to move towards the scene, finally fading away the three of them crying out in surprise.

"That's it? I want to know what happens next!" Alicia said, trying to take the coin.

"Stop, stop, stop! Let's think clearly here," Aurelius said. "Look, just because we saw that, it doesn't mean anything. First off, like Alicia said, she wanted to go to Aviation Park, right? So if we go there, it won't happen anyhow, so it doesn't matter, does it?" he said, putting the coin in his pocket. Andrew and Alicia looked at one another unsurely, sitting on the couch.

"North Broom wouldn't be all that busy today, would it? After all, it is Christmas," Alicia reasoned helplessly.

"It's also the warmest Christmas on record, so it just might be packed," Andrew said. "Still, I'm sure…I'm sure someone there can handle it, I mean…assuming what we saw was right."

"But what if we don't go?" Alicia asked. "What if by not going someone gets hurt that might not have had we interfered?"

"Suddenly I'm beginning to understand Heph's warning about this thing," Aurelius said darkly. "We don't have to go…not really. We do have a choice. Sort of," Aurelius said. The three gazed at each other silently for a moment.

"Well, you're the one who wants to be an Auror, Rel," Andrew said at last. "We would at least be going into the situation forewarned…what if that thing we saw does show up? Are we going to be able to live with ourselves after the fact if we found out someone else got hurt?"

"I don't like this," Aurelius sighed. "But I know you're right. We need to check it out, just to be safe."

"I wonder if we hadn't looked at the coin if we would be going to North Broom at all?" Alicia put in as they went to grab their coats. But neither of the boys seemed to have an answer for that either.

As Andrew had feared, quite a few students had come out testing their new brooms and other equipment. Several called their names out and waved to them.

"Everything seems pretty normal," Alicia commented after they had walked around a few minutes, then noticed a strange look cross Aurelius' face. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't know," Aurelius admitted. "But it does seem a lot like what we saw in the coin somehow."

"Well, let's go check near the four Pitches, because I believe I saw rings in the background," Andrew said. "Perhaps we should split up?"

"But in the coin we were close together…"  
"I don't like the idea of attempting to duplicate what we saw," Aurelius said firmly. "In fact, let's make a point not to do it."

"Vell, vhat do ve have here?"

Startled, the three of them looked up to see Eigil hovering on a broom overhead, slowing descending to the ground.

"Eigil," Aurelius said. "Of course."

"Well, I feel like an idiot," Andrew murmured.

"I could have sworn it wasn't Eigil we saw," Alicia whispered back.

"There are no other giants here though, is there?" Andrew murmured.

"Have you come to play or to talk behind my back?" Eigil asked.

"I hardly expected you to be here. I merely came so that my brother could test out his new broom," Aurelius said evenly.

"Really?" Eigil said, looking at Andrew coolly. Andrew matched the gaze. "Vell, do you plan to do it on da ground or on da Pitch?"

"Is that a challenge?" Alicia asked.

"Not for you. Men only," Eigil said. "It might get rough out dere. Ve have been playing by pro rules."

"You just don't want our little sister to show you up again," Andrew said.

"I can take whatever you throw at me," Alicia said, completely unconcerned.

"Very vell, I vill get my team together," Eigil said, and walked away, the three of them looking at each other.

"This isn't anything like the vision," Alicia said.

"No, but all the same, we don't know exactly when what we saw happened," Aurelius said. "Alicia, maybe you really ought to sit out. I don't mind Seeking…"

"No way, Rel. You may be a decent Seeker, but I'm better. I can handle it," Alicia said, taking out her broom.

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Rel, let's just find the rest of our team," Andrew said.

"Look over there, I see Phoebe," Alicia said. "I suppose that means Heph is around here too. Shall I see if she wants to play?"

"I don't think we ought to. I'm not sure I trust whatever it is Eigil calls 'pro rules,'" Aurelius said, looking around. "I wonder if Heph's here, then."

"Looks like Eigil's already picked him up," Andrew said, looking at where he was gathering his team. "Wow, look at that woman sitting in the stands. Is that Eigil's mother?"

"Yeah, looks like it," Aurelius said thoughtfully.

"Well, if she's here watching, I doubt Eigil's going to get too nasty, and we do need four more players. Alicia, go ahead and invite Phoebe if you like," Andrew said. Alicia nodded, running over to the stands. "We're going to need another strong Beater, I think, otherwise we won't stand much of a chance between Eigil and Heph."

"I can do it," Aurelius said. "I suppose Phoebe can be Keeper, so let's look for some speed."

Being in three different houses helped them immensely when it came to gathering a team, for while Eigil had snatched up most of the older Slytherins that were there, Andrew and Alicia successfully rallied up Shelly Meadows and Phil Rich, while Alicia found Morfinn huddled in a corner and dragged him out.

"I'm simply here to take a walk and get some air! I can't possibly stay out here! It's too damp! And…broom flying doesn't agree with me…" he protested.

"Oh, no, not him!" Aurelius scowled. "What are you doing here?"

"What else am I going to do today? Most of the shops in town are closed. Rather annoying really…"

"Never mind all that, just come play," Alicia said.

"Great, if we start losing we'll use him to make the other team all catch colds," Aurelius said, rolling his eyes.

"Please don't tease him about his allergies, Aurelius, it's not like he can help it any more than I can help my own," Shelly said.

"They're not real," Aurelius said.

"It's okay, I don't want to play anyhow."

"We are not playing a person short and that's that," Alicia said firmly. "Come on, you can do it, Morfinn, we need you." Morfinn sighed and nodded.

"All right. For your sake," he said.

"Brilliant," Aurelius said sarcastically, then went over to Eigil. "Fine, we have our team then."

"Dat is your team?" Eigil said. Several of the others sniggered, although Heph looked strangely solemn. "I have a feeling dis won't take long."

"Of course not, I'm playing," Alicia said.

"Yes, and so am I," Eigil said coolly. "Meyers, you take Beater. I am going to act as the other Seeker."

Andrew looked at Aurelius worriedly at that, but Aurelius merely nodded, refusing to look intimidated.

"Fine. Excuse me for a moment while I work out our own positions," he said, pulling them back and into a huddle. "Alicia…"

"I'm Seeking, Rel," she said stubbornly. Aurelius sighed.

"Look, it's obvious Eigil is up to something…"

"I can outrun anything they can throw at me. Honestly, it's safer if it's me," Alicia said.

"Fine, I'll agree, but only if you take the medallion," Aurelius said.

"What medallion?" Phoebe asked curiously, but Alicia nodded.

"Fine," Alicia said. Carefully Aurelius handed her the Aegis and she quickly put it on her neck and in her shirt out of sight, careful not to let the other team see it. "Feel better?"

"A little," Aurelius agreed, then released everyone to take their positions.

As customary when there was no referee, the Seekers tipped off the Quaffle; although Eigil's height advantage paid off, able to veer the ball firmly towards his team's Chasers during the joint toss.

Alicia was far from worried as she hopped on her broom, for she knew it wouldn't matter if she could sight the Snitch quickly. Of course, by the time she had gotten back up into position, the Snitch had been in the air several minutes…but she knew her siblings, and in fact, most of her teammates to know they could hold their own against Eigil and his cronies. Morfinn was the only one who seemed a bit off balance, uncertain if the exertion was good for his condition…however, Alicia also couldn't help but notice as he raced to keep up with the other Chasers that his sniffling and wheezing had mysteriously faded as he concentrated on the game. Phoebe had been ready for the other's teams Chasers when they came, successfully blocking and tipping the ball to Shelly who immediately looped around and through the surprised Chasers who had to quickly scramble to catch up.

But Alicia didn't have time to think about it as she found two Bludgers heading at her from different directions and she was forced to dive. Aurelius and Andrew both pulled up above her to smack them back towards the field of Chasers. It was just as well they weren't at Aviation considering the power behind those hits, Alicia decided, adjusting the medallion so it hung on her back. All the more reason for her to do what she could to concentrate on finding the Snitch instead of worry about the rest of the game.

As she began to hover around the Pitch with one eye on Eigil and the other looking out for the Snitch, she suddenly got a creeping feeling as if they were being watched. Of course they were being watched, she thought to herself, glancing at where Eigil's mother and several spectators looking to get on the next game waited on the stands. Shaking it off, Alicia tried a lower route, pausing a moment as she watched the Chasers nearing the rings and wincing when Phoebe had been put into a squeeze; two of Eigil's team blocking her from moving to the top ring as the third tossed it in. A mistake any new player could make, Alicia told herself, attempting to talk herself into not being to critical of her friend's bad play.

It was then that she saw Eigil make a move, and got in a better position to see if he was feigning or actually chasing something. It was the volley of Bludgers coming at her that truly clued her in to the fact that it wasn't a feint and leaned against the broom as one of them past within inches above her.

"Rel! Damn it, do your job! What do you think you are, a fourth Chaser?" Alicia barked at him furiously.

"Do _my _job? Go get the damn Snitch!" he barked back as he regained control of one of the Bludgers.

"This game is getting way to serious for a holiday broom test," Andrew said to himself just after he shied a Bludger in front of Eigil's path in attempt to distract him, giving Alicia time to catch up while Aurelius hit the other towards their Chasers who were nearing the rings again. But then Andrew saw something that made him bark out a warning…but not in time to stop a third Bludger from hitting the back of Eigil's shoulder so hard that he went spinning to the ground. Alicia had been traveling much too close and had to take evasive maneuvers, skidding to the ground and tumbling off her broom a few lengths ahead of him.

It was Morfinn who was the first broom down, racing to Eigil's side while Andrew quickly made it down to Alicia, who waved off his attempts to help her.

"What happened?" she shouted as the others landed. "Where did that third Bludger come from?"

"Maybe it's from one of the other Pitches," Aurelius said, hurrying over to Eigil as well. "Eigil, let him take a look at it!"

"Stay away from me!" Eigil snarled angrily. "I'm okay!"

"I think it's dislocated," Morfinn said. "Eigil, try not to move."

"Someone ought to get some help," Alicia said. "I don't think he's anywhere close to being okay."

"Right, you better go," Aurelius agreed, Alicia immediately speeding off. He had been expecting to see Eigil's mother running out of the stands to come to her son's aid and began wondering where she was, when he heard her deep baritone shouting in a language he didn't understand.

"Great Craters," Andrew said, Aurelius staring at him in surprise before standing up to see Eigil's mother facing off a figure just over eight feet tall and looking ready to kill. As the voices got louder, Eigil shouted something back and tried to scramble to his feet, despite everyone's protests for him to stay still.

"Heph, help me!" Aurelius barked, trying to keep him down and still get a hand free to try and get to a translation potion. Immediately Heph came over, but even injured, Eigil was a force to be reckoned with.

"He's going to hurt her!" Eigil said, wincing in pain.

"I think he's right," Andrew said, taking out his wand and running over before Aurelius could stop him. Aurelius called out Andrew's name in vain and then cussed himself, chasing after him. Andrew was desperately waiting for his own potion to take hold, torn between knowing how dangerous it would be to interfere and the idea of even a woman the size of Eigil's mother being in obvious distress.

"…Had no right!" the half-giant snarled furiously as his voice began to clear in Andrew's ears.

"You lost your rights a long time ago, Kruger!" Eigil's mother snapped back. "And you have no right to come back now!"

Andrew didn't notice the Bludger bat in Kruger's hand until he had already brought it sweeping down against her and he cried out in horror, immediately jumping between them with his wand drawn.

With a quick flick the bat jumped out of the enraged giant's hand and began randomly hitting him, but it did nothing but further infuriate him. Kruger grabbed the bat out of the air and broke the spell by snapping the bat in two with his bare hands. Andrew stood paralyzed a moment as the giant turned towards him, for he had never seen anyone do that to a Bludger bat before. At the last minute, Aurelius jumped in front of him and began to cast a spell of his own, but the massive man tossed Aurelius aside like a rag doll and grabbed the wand straight out of Andrew's hands, his tightening fist turning it into toothpicks. Andrew immediately disappeared, leaving the angered giant swiping at the air a moment before he noticed his ex-wife trying to get up and turned his attention back to her.

"You will not get away with this! Everyone is seeing without a doubt the monster you really are now!" she said.

"They will not find me where I'm going, Poma. But first I am going to finish what I started. I should have taken a lot more than your finger that day. Maybe then you wouldn't have filled my son with your foolish human-raised values!"

"Leave her alone!" Everyone looked over in surprise at Eigil, standing white-lipped with a look in his eyes that no one had seen before, his left arm hanging limp at his side while the other was gripped tightly around his wand. "Touch her again, and I swear I'll kill you myself!" Kruger snorted at his son.

"There is nothing you can do to me. You have been nothing but a worthless ninny all of your life! Look at you, limping like a baby, just as much of a weakling as you always have been!"

"I may not be any match for your strength, but I am a wizard, and I will not let you hurt us anymore."

"Well, you are certainly doing a good job," Kruger said sarcastically. "Wizards. You turn to magic because you haven't the balls for anything else! Or is it just the dresses you crave?"

Suddenly a Bludger seemed to come out of nowhere and Kruger barely ducked in time, whirling around to find his assailant. But Eigil used the distraction to his advantage, bellowing out a spell with such force that it echoed through the Pitch.

_"Reducio!" _

The full blast of the spell hit Kruger straight on, and in surprise he began to shrink, staring in surprise at his son for a moment before launching himself at his son. But by the time he reached him, he was already as small as Alicia and growing even smaller. Immediately Eigil dropped his wand and grabbed him, the fight immediately turning to Eigil's favor, his pain forgotten as the adrenalin took over and began beating him. Andrew suddenly came out of nowhere and tried to pull him off with no luck, until finally he heard a loud, _"Stupefy!"_ seeming to come from all around them.

Blasted from all ends, Andrew stood completely dazed as Alicia, Ginny, Harry, and several Enforcers ran over from the edge of the field. Harry quickly pulled Eigil off his father, a small chick with a pair of red feathers on its head looking out of one of his front robe pockets and criticizing the entire ordeal. Ginny, for her part, had checked on Poma before hurrying over to where Alicia and Heph were kneeling by Aurelius.

"I think my arm's broken," Aurelius admitted. "Although I'm lucky it wasn't my neck. I'd forgotten I gave you the shield, Alicia."

"Tried to get in the middle of things again, did you? What a mad thing to do, getting between half giants like that!" Alicia scolded him.

"Well, it's too late to debate it now. Just hang tight, we'll get you all out of here as soon as we can," Ginny promised then hurried over to DeMille and Harry.

"Ms. Arild and Eigil are both hurt pretty bad. We need to get them to the hospital first, although it looks like Kruger Hauk's a close third," Ginny told them.

"If you ask me the bastard deserved it, but don't tell Eigil I said that," Harry said before walking over and releasing Andrew from the spell. "You alright?"

"Yes, fine, though I can't stay the same about my wand," Andrew admitted. "Why is there a bird in your pocket?"

"That can wait," Harry said. "You had better join Aurelius and the others until we get you to St. Mungo's."

"I guess that means Father and Mum is going to hear about this," Andrew said with a groan.

"I'd say that's a good guess," Harry said and then went to see how he could help Ginny.

By the time Andrew got over there, Aurelius was sitting up and Morfinn had somehow convinced Aurelius to let him tie his arm up, despite his protests.

"Ouch, you landed on your wand arm," Andrew winced.

"Tell me something I don't know," Aurelius grumbled. "I think it's shattered."

"That's nothing compared to what I'm sure Eigil did to his shoulder trying to fight him like he did, not that I blame him," Morfinn said.

"It's half-giants like Kruger that give all of them a bad name," Andrew said. "I hope Eigil and his Mum is going to be okay."

"Even after everything he put you through?" Alicia said.

"Yeah, well, we've always known his father was rotten," Andrew said with a shrug. "I just didn't realize how much."

"My father's rotten," Heph said. "His is insane. What are you three even doing here, anyhow? I thought you all were into the whole family time bit."

"Actually, that's your fault," Aurelius told him, but stopped when he saw Ginny and Harry walking over. "We'll tell you about it later."

"All right gang, you're next," Harry sighed, while Ginny looked over Morfinn's handiwork with an approving nod before helping him get to his feet. "Just how is it that every time there's some calamity in the world there's a Snape in the middle of it?"

"Well, you have room to talk," Ginny teased him, the chick in his pocket making a warble as if it were agreeing with her.


	24. Future Choices

Chapter Twenty-Four

Future Choices

Aurelius felt his arm thoughtfully, a tingling sensation traveling up and down because of the recent spell put on it to mend his arm. He then took a moment to feel inside the pocket of the cloak resting on the chair behind him to make double sure the Coin was still there. It had been a very strange experience, and nothing like what he thought he had seen. Was that what Ciardoth and Icarus went through, he wondered, remembering images but not quite seeing the whole picture?

The door popped open with such force that Aurelius wasn't surprised to see his parents standing on the other side when he looked up, a sigh of relief and exasperation coming from both of them as they stepped in, Ginny not far behind.

"Now, don't start in quite yet. I need to check his nerves and reflexes before the doctor will release him," Ginny said, and promptly began bending his arm in different directions. "Let me know when it hurts."

"And don't bother being too gentle," Severus added. "A certain honor Defense student ought to know better than to jump in front of an angry giant."

"Half-giant," Aurelius corrected.

"More giant than not," Jennifer frowned at him disapprovingly.

"It's not like we had much choice! If we hadn't acted, Hauk and his Mum might not have come out of that alive," Aurelius argued.

"From what I understand, Mr. Hauk acted with the appropriate spell under great duress…and it was his business, not either of yours," Severus said evenly. "It seems that all the two of you succeeded in doing was breaking an arm and a wand."

"I don't know, Professor. I think they probably did make a difference, jumping in for Ms. Arild when they did…" Ginny put in, earning a dirty look from both Severus and Jennifer. "You have to admit, it took a lot of nerve."

"Sometimes I think our children have way too much nerve, actually," Jennifer said. Trying not to look even more amused, Ginny finished what she was doing and grabbed a clipboard, making a note.

"I'll be back in a moment," she said with an almost warning smile before leaving.

"Is Hauk and Ms. Arild going to be all right?" Aurelius asked.

"Ms. Arild is going to have to be in the hospital for a few days, but Eigil should be all right. Danny came the moment she heard what happened and is going to let him stay with them for awhile," Jennifer explained.

"Yes, and as for Hauk senior, I believe he is going to spend some time in Azkaban before he's deported, and for some reason I believe he'll think twice about attempting to come back," Severus said.

"Yeah, definitely," Aurelius said thoughtfully. "I can't help the fact that it reminds me of that day in Hogsmeade when Andrew finally stood up to Eigil. He and his father are a lot alike in some ways. They don't seem to respond to anything but being pummeled into the ground." There was a quick rap on the door and it opened, Ginny smiling at them.

"You're free to go! Just take it easy on that arm for a few days."

"Oh, there won't be any danger of overextending it, because no one is going to be leaving the house at all until it is time to go back to school," Severus assured her. Aurelius didn't miss the threatening tone in his voice either as Severus pointed him towards the lobby. Sitting at a table with Alicia and Andrew, Harry was entertaining them by bringing out the baby Phoenix, who sat in the center of the table completely basking in the attention. "Don't you think having that creature in here is a bit unhygienic for a hospital?"

"He doesn't want to go anywhere without me. Dumbledore says it's a normal part of the bonding and for me to get used to him being attached for a few weeks," Harry explained. "I've named him Farynor."

Severus rolled his eyes.

"Rather odd name, isn't it?" Jennifer asked curiously.

"Potter, the next time you comment about my dry sense of humor, I have full intentions of reminding you of your new familiar's name," Severus said. Harry merely grinned at him. "I don't suppose you've heard from Thurspire at all today?"

"I hear he made it home and that he mailed the Minister, that's about it," Harry said. "I'm sure he's still there though, if you need to find him."

"No…no, I'm sure if he hasn't already contacted me, it can wait until tomorrow," Severus decided. "Jennifer, I'm going to go have a few words with Anna and Sirius if you want to run along ahead."

"Of course, Severus. We'll head home and try to track down Alex if she is not there."

"For her sake, I hope she is," Severus said as he turned back to the desk, the other three exchanging glances. Apparently, they weren't the only ones that were going to get grilled for not being where they were supposed to be.

Zoë and Zack had set up a Quidditch Trivia game they had gotten for Christmas in the back of Sirius' room, glumly attempting to play despite the fact that Sirius, who was supposedly playing as well, had turned around to look out the window instead.

Zack sighed softly. Zoë wasn't any sort of competition at this game, but he had brought it hoping that his father would respond at least to some of the questions. He and Zack had often talked about Quidditch Teams during the summer months, but any attempt to get him interested in anything other than complaining about the hospital and bureaucracy in general didn't get very far. Even Harry was staying away from him now, the visits lasting only a moment or two before he was off again.

Zoë quietly read another trivia question to Zack. Even last year's Christmas was better than this. It was one thing to defiantly stand up and tell your parents just how messed up they were and quite another to be proven right. Even when their mother came in and tried to cheer them up with Eggnog and offers to take them to the movies before the end of the holiday was enough to cut through the mood, and it became more and more obvious that Sirius would rather brood than participate in anything.

So it was that Severus Snape ended up being a distraction that caused a strange sense of relief to sweep through the room from the moment he walked in, just by providing a chance to interact with someone rather than have to interact with one another. Only Sirius seemed unhappy about his presence, passing him a freezing glare before conceding from the game and using the bathroom as an excuse to get away.

"I see you are getting some use out of the game Andrew picked out for you," Severus said casually, ignoring Sirius' reaction.

"Attempting to would be more accurate," Zack said, Anna frowning at his tone.

"Well, perhaps you can bring it along. I'm sure you would find willing players at our house if you care to spend Christmas dinner with us," Severus said.

"I certainly wouldn't mind," Zack said, looking at his mother.

"Me either," Zoë said, looking up as well.

"Sure, of course, perhaps the two of you can salvage something out of this Christmas," Anna sighed.

"Good. Why don't the two of you pick up then, while I have a word outside with your mother," Severus suggested, the twins immediately beginning to put the game away. Anna took only a moment to briefly glance between them and the closed door before following him out into the hall. "I see he is still doing about the same. Any nightmares?"

"No, no, the potions the doctor has been giving him to curb them seem to be working very well," Anna said.

"Then most likely Ciardoth has either moved on to a different victim or is involved in something else. I doubt she'll directly threaten him in that way again."

"Perhaps not, but the damage is done," Anna said, a tinge of anger in her voice. "He's always had bouts of brooding, but now it's constant. It was bad enough before, but now he also has the guilt of the deaths of those two men on his mind as well."

"Everyone agrees that that incident was hardly his fault…of course, that doesn't help, does it?" Severus mused.

"Can't you talk to him again? He's been like this for days, now…"

"Anna, I interfered in this matter once merely because a firm hand was needed in getting him here. Anything I could do at this point would most likely worsen the problem instead of fix it. I did my part, and now it's time you did yours. He needs someone now he can trust enough to actually open up to, and he can't trust me, nor do I want him to. Therapists can only do so much, Anna, they're outsiders, and I need not tell you that Sirius sees any sort of institution as a personal assault."

"He won't talk to me, Severus. He barely even acknowledges me…"

"Then talk to him, Anna," Severus interrupted. "And I don't mean about the current weather, as dire as that may be. If you want him to open up to you, then you are the one that has to make the first move. It's time you took out all that baggage you've been holding back and lay it on the line…"

"I never kept anything from him because of him, Severus," Anna said.

"No, I know, it's because you've never wanted to deal with it. And you don't think that's his problem?" Severus pointed out. "Anna, I can no more force you to deal with your own inner self any more than I can him, and perhaps you think now is not the time to bring up painful subjects, but I am telling you this is your last chance at a relationship and even more dire than that, it is his last chance at leading any sort of normal life. Talk to him…even if he doesn't acknowledge it. Even if he seems to ignore it, you keep talking until your nerves are raw and you've turned over every memory and thought and fear that has ever plagued you. It'll be then and only then that he will see you as a viable person to turn to. And since you really are the only one he should be turning to at this point, I hope for both your sakes as well as the children's that you swallow that Snape pride of yours and get it over with." Anna sighed softly but didn't say a word as Severus went in to get Zoë and Zack, coming back out a moment later to find her still standing in the hall. "Just send word if you need me to keep them overnight or something, Anna, they're more than welcome. Happy Christmas," he put as an afterthought. Zack and Zoë both glanced at their mother but didn't say a word as they followed their uncle down the hall.

It was not long after Zoë and Zack arrived that Aurelius called a meeting, using the game as an excuse to disappear into the attic. Distractedly, they set up the game as they waited for Alex, who had been called into the Study shortly after Jennifer and the others had arrived, but no one questioned her about the incident when she appeared on the ladder with a rather glum look on her face.

"Hurry up, Alex, there's something important we need to talk about," Aurelius said, lifting the trapdoor up and hooking it behind her. He then went into a full account of what had happened both with the coin and at the park, Alex's eyes growing wide when she heard the entire sequence of events.

"I can't believe you tried to take on Kruger Hauk like that," Alex said. "Didn't I warn you before that Percy Weasley said he was extremely dangerous?"

"We didn't have a choice! He would have killed Eigil's Mum if we hadn't!" Andrew said.

"Maybe we didn't have much of a choice once we were involved in it," Aurelius agreed. "But the real question is, did we have the choice not to go?"

"Well, it sounds to me like if you hadn't gone, things would have been much worse for Eigil…not that I ever liked him," Zack admitted. "Still, I'm not sure I would be able to forgive myself if, like you said, you hadn't gone and something bad happened."

"Do Father and Mum know about the coin yet?" Alex asked.

"No, I wanted to talk to all of you about your thoughts on that first," Aurelius said, pacing a bit. "Now, I definitely believe this coin can be dangerous…it could possibly lead us into something…or away from something even…just by showing us a part of our future. Which, might I add, is more than what our own prophets and astrologers have been able to do lately."

"I wonder why it'd be one and not the other?" Andrew mused.

"Actually, I have an idea about that," Aurelius said. "You know how Essie doesn't just see her future…she gets flashes of other people's futures too…astrologers again read the stars which reflect much more than their own futures as well…the coin, though…it seems more personal. In fact," he said taking a breath, "what we saw in the coin was exactly what I saw from my point of view. I think it very literally shows the near future of whoever throws it. Now, we know for the most part that this thing hasn't really seemed to affect Icarus' memory either, or Ciardoth's, considering she still seemed to be remembering stuff too."

"I don't get it, why would it affect one without the other?" Alicia frowned.

"I'm not quite sure yet," Aurelius admitted, sitting down. "But what if the reason is that there's something coming that Ciardoth doesn't want us to see until it's too late? If that is the case, this coin may give us a slight advantage."

"I don't know, Rel," Zack said. "You said the questions are 'yes' or 'no' oriented. That means it really would be like playing twenty questions to try and narrow down the right question to ask, and every one with a vision that might compel us to investigate it…I don't know, maybe you'd be better off just handing it over to Uncle Severus."

"What is with you lately?" Alicia said with annoyance at Zack. Zack shrugged at her.

"It's not like I haven't been considering it," Aurelius admitted. "After all, you know what his view is on any sort of Divination anything. In fact, I'm surprised he stomached that movement making us all take a course of it."

"I already explained that," Alicia sighed. "It's those silly dream journals. He's trying to get as many students as he can into it to protect against Ciardoth."

"Exactly. He wouldn't have done it on its own merits, he's too much an advocate of free will. I'm not so sure that if he did get his hands on it, he wouldn't just throw it in a vault somewhere. Not saying that he might have a point; as we found out in this case, it's rather hard to walk away from something the coin has shown."

"I don't see how we can possibly judge that from one coin toss," Alicia argued. "It's true that this trip wasn't what we expected, but what's to say that most of the tosses would be stuff that's normal? Or things we could walk away from? Who knows, we might see something terrible and be able to change things for the better just by not being there?"

"That sounds an awful like what Icarus Ravenclaw was trying to do," Alex said worriedly.

"I'm not saying we commit mass murder here, simply that we don't always do what it says," Alicia said impatiently. "Besides, I don't think we should do anything with it until we check with Professor Dusthorn again. After all, she asked me to get it, not Father, and I'm sure there's a reason. Now that we have it, perhaps we should go and ask her about it."

"I don't like the idea of you guys keeping it. It seems much too powerful for me," Zack said.

"I think Alicia is right about one thing," Andrew put in. "It's hardly fair to judge how dangerous it is from one coin toss. That whole thing might have been a fluke."

"It also might have turned out a lot worse," Alex said.

"Zoë? Any comments?" Aurelius asked. Zoë shrugged.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's in your possession and it's for you to decide."

"Well, what would you do with it, if it were you?" Alicia asked.

"I think I would probably confront Dusthorn about it, but unless there's an awful good reason why I shouldn't, I would probably turn it over to Uncle Severus or Dumbledore," Zoë mused.

"I think that sounds like a reasonable compromise to me," Andrew agreed.

"As long as it's done right when we get back," Alex said. Zack nodded in agreement.

"Oh, very well," Alicia said, folding her arms. "I don't suppose I mind it as a backup plan."

"At least we don't have to worry about it falling into the wrong hands in the interim," Aurelius said, glancing at it, "since we know that Ciardoth already has the power this thing does and more."

"Well, we still don't know exactly what it's capable of. We've only used it once," Andrew said. "Personally, I still think we should run a few more cautious tests before making any rash judgments one way or the other. I'm still not completely convinced this thing can accurately predict the future all the time, or that we can't act against it."

"I would like to try it again as well," Alicia said.

"No, I don't think it's a good idea," Alex said, shaking her head.

"How would you know, you haven't even seen it?" Alicia said. "We could at least try it one more time so the others can see what it does."

"I admit, I am a bit curious," Zoë agreed.

"Perhaps we had better vote," Aurelius said.

Half an hour later, all of them were nervously sitting around the trivia game, while Aurelius calmly attempted to play.

"It's only a game," Aurelius said calmly. "Your turn, Andrew."

"How can you be so calm?" Alex said with irritation, watching as Andrew's piece moved to the Names and Dates category.

"Who won the GBI League Cup in 2003?" Alex said.

"Kestrels of course, although a technicality nearly cost them the game when one of their Beaters accidentally smacked the Snitch instead of a Bludger…."

"A name was enough, honestly Andrew," Alex sighed.

"But it was a bogus call! They can't possibly believe it was an accident," Andrew protested. "Your turn, I believe, Zack."

"We should have made Andrew sit out. He always wins," Zack grumbled as he rolled the dice and moved to an empty space.

"But it was the four of us who were playing in the coin," Alex pointed out.

"Yes, but by trying to duplicate it exactly, aren't we just setting up for what it wants to come about to come about?" Zack asked.

"We're checking right now to see if it's consistently right," Aurelius said. "I asked it if I would win this game, so that's the game we have to play."

"Shouldn't we have been interrupted by now?" Alex asked anxiously, making her move. "Quidditch Terms, Aurelius."

"Hard to say. It's not like it showed a clock," Aurelius said, picking up a card and staring at it for a moment. "Here it is. The question about cobbing that we saw," he said. "This is when we all looked around."

There was a loud knock on the door and they all immediately reacted, gazing at one another in surprise.

"Very creepy," Zack said, taking a breath.

"Come on, we need to go see if that's who we think it is," Aurelius said, getting up.

The others following more cautiously behind until they stood at the top of the stairway. There was little doubt about it…as predicted, it was Ederick Thurspire who had interrupted the game. Gazing at each other thoughtfully, the six of them retreated back upstairs.

"I hope I'm not interrupting, Severus, Jennifer," Thurspire said as they walked out of the entryway into the living room.

"We were about ready to sit down to dinner, Ederick, if you'd like to stay," Jennifer said.

"Thanks, but no. I haven't the time, but something's happened that you should know about," Ederick said, lowering his voice. "The Formorians, who, as you know, have lived at the Westernmost Isle for well over a thousand years have been forced to leave it…all the magic they have can't stop the fish they depend on from seeking warmer waters for many of the species they depend on have a wider range of habitat than the area they control. They moved to find another location out of the problem area, although exactly where, those still there on the island would not tell me. Apparently, their Magus is planning on a massive storm in their wake that will keep the Muggles from discovering just how recently the underwater ruins have been occupied, since they will most likely be able to find the island once their power has left."

"Wait a minute, Ederick. What about the island itself?" Jennifer said with alarm, glancing at her husband. "There are dozens of Otherworld trees there left behind after Merlin closed that gate, it would be very dangerous for Muggles to find that island!"

"I know, which is why I need to go back," Thurspire explained. "To attempt to hide it if we can, or burn it if not. Severus, I'm not certain that this problem is natural…I'd go so far as to say that forcing them out of that area is intentional and completely separate from what is happening with the weather here."

"Yes, I had already come to the same conclusion," Severus admitted. "The true cause, it seems, is that time itself has lost its consistency. The entire solar system, if not the entire universe, is moving at a slower rate."

"Impossible," Jennifer said immediately, shaking her head. Severus and Thurspire glanced at each other grimly. "Oh, come now! You can't honestly believe Ciardoth could be capable of anything on that scale. It's positively ridiculous! There must be another explanation."

"Jennifer, no offense, but you have no idea how many times I have heard people say that in the last twenty-four hours, including the Minister and my own wife. If you know anything at all about astronomy, you'll know that something is terribly wrong. In fact, even the Muggles have begun to discuss it at great length…every almanac in the entire world is wrong, and the only thing that is keeping the entire planet from a panic is the fact that most people are in complete denial that there is any problem and it's all going to blow over on its own," Thurspire said, glancing back at Severus. "This is no longer just a panicked prediction for a gullible audience just because it's a certain number in a calendar year or an attempt to line up modern events with Revelations. This is real, and if we don't find out how she's doing it soon, it is only going to get steadily worse, perhaps to the point where nothing at all can be done to stop it."


	25. A Fatal Discovery

Chapter Twenty-Five

A Fatal Discovery

Severus stared at his calculations one more time, having gotten no closer to a solution to what she might be doing than he had before. He rubbed his eyes then, glancing at his watch before walking up the stairs, knowing it would not be long before their expected New Year's visitor would arrive. He paused to cautiously peer in the kitchen before going over to Jennifer, coming up behind her and grabbing her shoulders with such force that she nearly lost the spoon in your hand.

"Jennifer, why don't you let Mercy do that? You've been spending the entire holiday in the kitchen," Severus said as he began to knead her shoulders, ignoring her attempts at trying to shrug him off.

"It's a very important evening, Severus…"

"And I think it's more important for you to take a few moments to relax and let Mercy take over. Come on, there is absolutely no reason for you to get worked up about this."

"What do you mean there's no reason to get worked up? I'd like to make some sort of a good impression…"

"Jennifer, we are talking about a boy who spent every summer of his young life eating pumpkin ice cream in his swimming trunks at our kitchen bar. I hardly think he's going to need much impressing," Severus chided her. "Mercy, don't you dare let her try and take over again. Jennifer, I insist, come sit down, or I swear I shall put Subtle Slumber in your tea at dinner."

"You wouldn't dare!" Jennifer said horrified.

"It would hardly be the first time," Severus said, getting a dirty look as she walked into the front room, then turned her critical gaze at the room itself.

"Do you suppose they're all ready?" Jennifer asked. Severus sighed, but didn't stop her when she went out into the hall and called up the stairs. It wasn't surprising when Alex was the first one down the stairs wearing a Muggle skirt much too short for Jennifer's liking and a knitted jumper with bunched up sleeves. "Are you actually going to wear that?"

"Of course, Mother. I wasn't under the impression this was any sort of formal thing, or should I warn him to come dressed in a suit and tie?" Alex teased. "I could throw Father's new dress robes on him if you like."

"He can have them," Severus said dryly.

"Did you ever find out who sent them to you?" Andrew asked as he, Aurelius and Alicia descended the stairs. Jennifer suddenly looked privately amused. Severus gave her an annoyed look.

"It was Chairman Shea and the board, if you must know," Severus said grumpily. "Mr. Wallace happened to mention it went I returned his research equipment. Apparently they thought my old ones were ill-suited for attending meetings."

"I'm sure they didn't mean to offend you in any way, Severus," Jennifer said. "And after all, you have had those dress robes for years…"

"If I want new dress robes, I'll get them myself," Severus said irritably. "But never mind that. Everyone looks fine, this is hardly as big of a deal as everyone is making this out to be."

"I can't wait to finally show Ben the house!" Alex said excitedly. "He's probably going to be so surprised to find out the downstairs is wired for electric…"

"Right, like a Muggle would be impressed by that," Aurelius said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, we didn't have any before in Haven's Bluff!" Alex said. "Not to mention…" she paused when she heard a knock at the door. Excitedly she answered it, popping the door open quickly to see Ben standing there, looking nervous. Aurelius sniggered softly. He was wearing a suit and tie.

"Um, hullo," Ben said. "Sorry if I'm late, but the house really didn't seem to want to…show up for me. Had a devil of a time convincing myself I had the right address," he grinned.

"I am so sorry! I should have gone out and waited," Alex realized sheepishly, showing him in.

"Hullo gang, nice to see you again," Ben said. Andrew grinned warmly at him while the other two waved noncommittally.

"Hello, Ben! Come in and sit down," Jennifer said amiably. "Perhaps I should check on dinner…"  
"I'm sure Mercy can handle that, Jennifer," Severus interrupted.

"Well, coffee, then…"

"Alex, why don't you run and start that real quick?" Severus suggested. Grimacing slightly, Alex rushed off to do so while the other three quietly found chairs.

"Nice house. Quite Victorian, isn't it?" Ben said. "Nothing like the old place."

"Yes, it's nothing like the old place, but we make do," Jennifer said.

"Jennifer often misses our life in Haven's Bluff," Severus explained.

"Yes, well, who doesn't?" Ben agreed. "In a lot of ways, it was a real eye opener…I guess it's actually part of the reason I'm living on my own now."

"But you are still going to school, aren't you?" Jennifer frowned.

"Oh, yes, sure, of course!" Ben said quickly. "I still have four months left…I rent a room near the school, in fact. I'm hoping to continue on to college though if I get a scholarship…engineering or something…actually, I haven't exactly decided for what yet."

Jennifer glanced at Severus' expression, but them gave him a warm smile.

"And you work as well, correct? What is it that you do again?" she asked.

"Well, right now I'm just a clerk in a gift shop downtown…pays the bills, you know," Ben said with a shrug and a nervous grin.

"And do you plan to continue doing this work for however long you are going to college?" Severus asked.

"Well…I want to, really, I'm sure," Ben said with a nod, but noticed that Jennifer was frowning and furrowing her brows at him. "Although...do you know, your daughter is a very strong-willed girl, Mr. Snape…"

"Something I am perhaps aware of even more than you," Severus said calmly. "Might I ask, however, what that has to do with the question?"

"Well…" Ben looked helplessly towards the dining room, and was relieved to see Alex hurrying back in, beaming at him.

"So what did I miss?" Alex asked.

"Not much, we were merely attempting to get some idea of Benjamin's future plans and whether or not he was going to keep his job if he goes to college," Jennifer said.

"Oh, no, don't be silly! He can't possibly keep up those hours and make decent marks there, he hardly keeps up with everything as it is. No, I'm going to support him," Alex said. Ben closed his eyes a moment. "I'll be making enough money at the Ministry I'm sure to get by on…" she said, then hesitated when she saw the expression on both Ben's and her parents' faces. "Well, it's not like he didn't _want_ to work. I simply talked him out of it, that's all."

"Like anyone can get a word in edgewise when she starts talking," Aurelius muttered audibly to Andrew.

"Why don't you three go set the table," Jennifer said in a warning tone. Reluctantly the three of them got up, each one eying the couple critically before leaving the room. "Alexandria, while I'm sure you want to help Ben, that sounds like an awful big commitment to take on when you are going to have your own expenses to think about."

"Oh, well…" she hesitated. "It's an investment, really. He'll make more money if he graduates from college."

"I think we're getting ahead of ourselves, Alex," Ben said quietly. "I think what they're after…well, what I'm really here to say is…actually…"

"We're done!" Andrew declared cheerfully, and began to walk into the room. Immediately Severus pointed him back out of the room, the other two pausing behind him. "All right. I guess we'll get drinks then," he said amiably, and they reluctantly went back towards the kitchen.

"You were saying?" Severus prompted, but nothing came out when Ben opened his mouth again.

"What he's trying to say is that last week he asked me to marry him," Alex said. "And I said yes." Jennifer took Severus' arm, but decided not to say anything.

"Interesting," Severus said, unsurprised. "And how do you plan to pay for it?"

"Oh, well," Alex said, looking a bit off balance.

"Most of my family wouldn't be interested in coming," Ben put in. "In fact, my sister is the only one who would bother. So we were just…you know…just a small affair…paperwork sort of marriage, you know."

"I see, and then you're planning on getting by with an assistant's salary to handle all of your expenditures for…how long?" Severus asked, attempting to ignore the fact that Jennifer was clutching his arm so tight he was losing circulation.

"Four or five years…perhaps less…" Ben said.

"Any plans for a family?" he interrupted once more, causing Ben to freeze again.

"Oh, not until he's out of school, Father," Alex assured him quickly.

"Well, good. I'm glad you thought at least that part out," Severus said expressionlessly. "But since you are planning to wait on that, don't you think it might be more prudent to wait until after he is out of school before you think of getting married?" Alex and Ben gave each other a quick glance.

"Father, that's four years…"

"Hardly forever, and long enough to both get on better financial ground. Afraid you'll grow apart?"

"No, that's not it…" Alex said.

"Good, because otherwise we shouldn't even be having this conversation."

"Mr. Snape," Ben said, Alex biting back what she was going to say. "I appreciate your candor, and I understand your concern, especially since it's obvious that Alexandria is used to a rather comfortable lifestyle…"

"Oh Ben…" Alex said.

"No, no you are," Ben said firmly, then turned back to them. "But I have already waited four years for a second chance to even see her again, thanks to my own mother's interference in the matter, and I am not waiting another four for you, Mr. Snape. I have already been living on my own for several months and I well know what it's going to take for us to make it on our own. Perhaps it won't be easy…perhaps it will be downright difficult, but not as difficult as it would be if we tried to wait. And while Alexandria and I have gone a few rounds over the schooling business, I assure you I will do whatever is necessary to make this work, regardless of any other personal ambitions I may have."

"I see," Severus said solemnly. "Thoughts, Jennifer? Reservations?"

"One, at least," Jennifer said with a strained voice, while Alexandria gazed at her anxiously. "If you honestly think that I would let any of my children have a Ministry wedding, you certainly don't know me very well. And if you insist on doing such a thing instead of allowing me to see you properly turned out at a proper wedding with all our family and friends I will most certainly disown you," she declared with a thin and serious smile.

"Long as you're paying," Alexandria grinned, glancing at her father who remained expressionless.

"Of course we are, what nonsense! Ministry wedding…" Jennifer muttered getting up and walking towards the dining room. There was a loud noise then, and Jennifer sighed when she saw several toppled chairs. "Andrew! Honestly!"

"Has Ben been grilled enough that we can eat now?" Aurelius asked casually from the kitchen.

"If you ask me, I think he's a bit well done," Andrew said, shying away from his mother's glare as he appeared and righted the chairs.

"Wait until it's your turn," Alex said as she came in, standing by her chair as Severus gestured for Ben to take the chair on his right.

"Actually, I have decided never to get married," Andrew declared, Jennifer glancing at him skeptically as she walked to her own seat and sat down, the others soon following. "For one thing, I think it'd be far more fun to dance with everyone else's wives. Pass the butter?" he said casually, ignoring his parents' stare.

Alicia ate quietly and didn't really contribute much as the others began to talk about adventures they had once had together in their years at Haven's Bluff, some of which they hadn't dared mention in front of their parents before. Distractedly, every now and then, she would reach in her pocket and feel the simply signed holiday card that she kept there as she nibbled on her dinner, vaguely aware of when the rain began to pad upon the narrow draped window at the other end of the table. A chuckle went through the room as Ben saw what the desert was, grinning at the dish a pumpkin ice cream.

"I don't believe it! You have no idea how hard it is to find this outside of the magic world," Ben he grinned, shaking his head. "How I missed our fun times in that little town."

"We all do in some way," Jennifer sighed.

"Perhaps you can come out to Hogsmeade one weekend. I'm sure Father Pachem and the others would be really glad to see how you're doing," Alex suggested.

"Perhaps, if I can ever get a weekend off," Ben chuckled.

"Let's not get too public about this relationship until you've graduated, Alex," Severus frowned at her.

"Rose didn't wait," Alex pointed out daringly, but Severus frowned at her. "All right, fine, I can keep it quiet."

"It would be the first time," Aurelius said dryly, and even Ben couldn't help but chuckle at that.

A rumble in the background suddenly caused the room to quiet down, Ben glancing at Alex questioningly. Aurelius pulled up his sleeve thoughtfully to look at his bracelet, glancing at his father who seemed on edge as well.

"It's just a bit of harmless thunder," Jennifer said quietly, but her voice sounded strange even to her ears. Another rumble, longer and louder, trembled through the room.

"Alexandria, why don't you and your siblings entertain your guest in the living room?" Severus suggested, getting up. "I need to check some things."

"Sure, maybe we can watch some television or something," Alex said getting up.

"Oh, no! I finally step foot in a magic house in years and she wants to watch the tellie," Ben chuckled as they walked out of the room.

Aurelius hadn't missed the nervous exchange between Jennifer and Severus before he scurried down to the basement, Jennifer making a play at helping Mercy straighten up before following behind. He, too, couldn't help but be worried. Something didn't feel right…something inside kept telling him that this wasn't just another storm. He walked in to find the others actually sitting on the floor in front of the couch beside the television, still off, talking in low voices.

"No, there isn't anything, anything at all in the regular world they can come up with that explains what is happening out there," Ben was saying when Aurelius came closer. "The top Astrophysicists in the world are baffled…every day they have a different answer. The popular one at the moment is it's being caused by a Black Hole."

"And what is that in Muggle terms?" Alex asked intently.

"It's like an imploded star that sucks in everything around it, with a very powerful gravitational pull like a giant funnel," Ben said. "They think now there's some sort of super Black Hole that is somehow slowing things down. Some of them even think if it keeps up, the planets might lose orbit and float off into space or something."

"This is not caused by any Black Hole," Aurelius said firmly. "Ciardoth is behind it, I'm sure of it," he said, pausing as another rumble could be heard and he glanced at his bracelet again.

"You don't think this is a normal storm either, do you?" Alex asked in a low voice.

"Well, I know a way we can find out," Aurelius said, his other siblings growing serious.

"Let's do it," Alex said, Ben glancing at her curiously, but not saying a word.

"Andrew go stand point at the basement door," Aurelius said, Andrew immediately getting up.

"You realize this may be a big mistake, of course," Alicia said, getting to her feet.

"We can always just ignore what the coin shows," Aurelius reminded her before flipping it up in the air. "Is Ciardoth behind the storm?"

Ben watched with the rest of them in awe as the coin came back down in Aurelius' hand, the picture of the Oracle changed into a scene so horrible they knew they wouldn't be able to ignore it.

"It's a burning house!" Alicia exclaimed. "Does anyone recognize it?"  
"We seem to be looking at it from above it," Aurelius frowned but shook his head. "I don't recognize it either."

"Ciardoth is definitely behind this," Alex said. "Someone get Andrew. I hope no one was in there."

"I have a feeling that there was," Aurelius said grimly, then looked up when Alicia and Andrew ran back in. "Recognize it?"

"No," Andrew said puzzledly.

"Wait, we're coming in closer," Aurelius said.

"Oh, no, look!" Alicia gasped. "Look, there's a little girl, up on the roof!"

"I know who that is," Alex said, paling. "That's Lindsay Thurspire!"

"Quick, Alicia, draw a picture…"

"No! The closest paintings would be in the house! We can't risk going in that inferno!" Aurelius said.

"Well, I'm hardly going to stay here and watch her die," Alex said, grabbing her broom and heading for the front door before anyone could say anything.

"Wait! We don't even know where she is!" Andrew said.

"The Thurspires live on the east side of town, and with that fire I don't think we'll miss it," Alex said as she stepped outside.

"You're not going anywhere without me," Ben protested, mounting up behind her before she could argue.

"Come on!" Alicia said.

"But what about telling Father?" Andrew protested.

"Later, Andrew! Alex is right! We don't know how far in the future that was, we may not have a moment to spare!" Aurelius said, grabbing his broom and racing to keep up.

"Blast it!" Andrew cursed then took out his new wand, writing a name on the mirror in the hall before taking off after them, nearly losing sight of them in the storm-ridden sky.

Lightning flashed around them uncomfortably close, and Andrew found himself reaching for his Quidditch goggles to protect his eyes from the drenching rain as he finally caught up to the pack. The visibility was dismal at best as they raced through the town, and it was probably just as well; for it protected them from being seen from the Muggles of London who would be very surprised indeed to see the four brooms racing overhead.

But suddenly, Andrew saw a thick black cloud ahead that choked the sky, forcing them to fly below it; it was then that they saw the house…and it looked far worse in person than it had in the coin.

"Lindsay!" Alex shouted loudly, hovering the broom away from the heat now blasting out of it.

"Alex, over there!" Ben said, pointing out to the lower kitchen roof at one end of the house.

"Rel! She's over here!" Alex shouted over the roaring fire, flying closer to the crying girl. Aurelius immediately followed, putting an arm around the crying girl and pulling her off into her broom, somehow managing to get them away as something in the house exploded and the flames grew even stronger.

"Mummy! Daddy!" the girl began to shriek, growing hysterical as Aurelius began to fly away from the house. "Save them too! You have to save them too!"

"There's no way we can go in there, Lindsay," Aurelius said, gazing at the inferno.

"No, you have to! You have to try!" she said, beating on him.

"Come on! Let's at least try to get the fire out!" Andrew said.

"We can't fight this. It's too far gone," Alicia said, getting out her wand anyhow.

"Ben, come watch her," Aurelius said. Immediately seeing the sense in that, Ben turned to keep the girl back as Aurelius joined his siblings as they joined hands. "We're going to try a suffocation spell! Prepare for Sync!" he said, casting the first spell.

Then together as one, the four of them cast the spell, the flames suddenly dying at the force of the blast. But as Aurelius had them let up the spell, the momentary puff of white smoke suddenly turned black again, the flames licking back up again.

"Try again!" Severus barked out as he and Jennifer ran up to them, joining hands and grabbing the line. "Be careful to focus on the fire itself, not the house!"

_ "Expelliaero!"_ Aurelius boomed, the rest of the family responding in kind as a vast amount of power like Aurelius hadn't felt before surged through him and towards the blazing fire. Like a candle between a pair of fingers, the inferno snuffed abruptly out, leaving a ringing sensation in their ears as the loud roaring of the flames suddenly stopped, leaving only the sound of Lindsay's crying and Ben's soft attempts and calmly her in its place.

"Great constellations, what happened here?" Jennifer asked shakily, taking a step forward, but Severus was a bit quicker, throwing his hand out as he strode towards the blackened house.

"Stay back, everyone. Jennifer, send a flare up," Severus said, casting a ward against heat on himself as he stepped into the house.

"And how exactly did you know to come here? And why did you just leave us a cryptic message instead of getting us?" Jennifer asked as sparks left her wand, looking both hurt and angry at her children. The rest of them looked at Aurelius.

"I had a vision," Aurelius said evenly. "I'm sorry, Mother, but there wasn't any time to waste. Lindsay was nearly killed."

"Where's my Mummy and Daddy?" Lindsay demanded to know again, shaking so terribly that Ben took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

Jennifer looked up towards the blackened doorway, the rain licking the cooling coals and causing a strange steaming mist around the already disheartening scene. A moment later, Severus reappeared with a very distant look on his face. Pausing at the door, he shook his head, and Jennifer felt a lump in her throat, choking it back forcefully as she gazed at the little girl standing behind them, refusing to let the realization sink in that Ederick and Megan were dead.


	26. Dramatic Changes

Chapter Twenty-Six

Dramatic Changes

Anna had taken the news of her best friend's death with a stony expression, listening intently to DeMille about her goddaughter's condition and taking a moment to peek in her hospital room to find her already asleep from grief and exhaustion. Expressionlessly, she went to the front desk with him to sign papers of temporary guardianship. A dozen forms were passed to her, more than half she didn't bother to read.

It was not until very late that night when she was walking down the corridor after saying goodnight to Sirius that the enormity of what happened hit her full force and she found herself with her back against the wall, sliding to the floor and pulling up her legs, burying her head in her arms.

But it wasn't long before she felt a hand on her arm. She didn't look up, thinking it was more than likely a passing by nurse or doctor, and she really didn't want to give them any reason to admit her into the hospital as well.

"Come, Anna," Severus said in a low voice, immediately getting her attention. "Come, let's get you home."

"Oh, Severus," Anna said with grief. "What am I going to do now? How can I possibly handle all of this without Megan to turn to? How am I going to deal with Sirius…and the children…and Lindsay…and the school…"

"That can wait until you've had several potion-laced cups of tea with your brother and a good night's sleep," Severus said firmly, walking her down the hall with an arm around her.

"I am too miserable too sleep," Anna murmured.

"We shall see," Severus said softly as he led her out. But his thoughts turned momentarily across town to someone else, he knew, who was losing sleep.

"What was he doing back?" Draco demanded angrily in DeMille's face where they stood near the cindered house, while Enforcers worked quickly to secure and come the area for clues. "He was supposed to be going to the Western Isle. What was he doing back here?"

"I simply know what I already told you, sir," DeMille said quietly. "He returned last night and told me he was onto something big and had to send out a few Owls, then he went home to see his wife."

"Well, if he sent out some Owls, why didn't I get one?" Draco shouted.

"I don't know! He didn't tell me who he was sending him to," DeMille said.

"Well, why the Hell didn't he tell you anything? Never mind, I already know the answer to that. Because you and those other Enforcers don't have the sense to listen to him!" Draco yelled at him.

"Sir…he was an idiot…"

"YOU are an idiot!" Draco said, loud enough to make all the other officers scurrying the place to pause and stare. "Stop making excuses and get someone to the Postmaster! And get me Peasegood! And get a reliable Auror here!"

"Harry Potter?" DeMille suggested. He instantly regretted it, ducking an expected wand lashing.

"Potter? You worthless, gullible coward, how dare you even suggest that fat-headed public nuisance to me? Tonks! Grangely! Anybody else! Did anyone send an owl to Dumbledore yet?"

"Yes, sir," DeMille said reluctantly, trying to regain his composure while still standing warily back. "He sends his regrets, but he says that he has his own problems and can't manage to come away from the school right now."

Deflated, Draco turned to stare at the house again, shaking his head at it.

"How did you piss her off, Thurspire? What did you find out?" he murmured out loud.

"Ederick? Find something out? Let's be realistic, Sir, the odds of that are really against him, don't you think? He probably just annoyed her as he did most people…" DeMille said,

"DeMille," Draco said. "Go empty you're desk, you're sacked. You….no, you over there…whatever your name is, come here and take over."

"Sacked, sir? What did I do?"

"Insulted one of the few men that was ever loyal to me, for starters! And I swear I'll sack any Enforcer who does it again, even if that means I have to rehire the entire department!" Draco snarled. "Now the rest of you, keep combing that house for anything pertinent that might have survived! That 'idiot,' that 'dunce,' that 'scarecrow' as I've heard all of you call him may have had the information to save us all! And if you don't find it, I hope there is an afterlife so I can float up and burn your asses for not listening to him when you had the chance! Now start digging!" he snarled. No one had to be told twice.

The Snapes rose early, but not directly because of what happened the day before. Jennifer hurried to get breakfast ready as the children worked to get packed for the trip back to school, while Severus closed himself in the study to put the final touches on the first draft of his research follow-up. Once she got everything rolling, Jennifer took a moment to walk through the first level of the house, checking to make sure everything was back in order.

"Aren't those trunks packed yet? I want them down here before breakfast. I don't want us running late for the train again!" she yelled up the stairs.

"Well, it isn't as if you can't just take us with you if we miss it," Alicia complained when she came into view a moment later, her trunk walking behind her. "In fact, can't we just go with you?"

"Your father and I have other things to do before we head to the school, and I think it's better for all of us if the four of you would take the train like everyone else," Jennifer said firmly, checking over Alicia's trunk once it got downstairs to make sure she hadn't missed anything important.

"Are you going to the Ministry?" Alex asked.

"Perhaps, among other places, yes," Jennifer sighed, gesturing her to bring her trunk over. "Your father wants to check on your aunt again before we leave as well."

"Does that mean she's not going to be teaching Muggle Studies anymore?" Alicia said.

"She's gone on leave for a few weeks to make arrangements for Lindsay, but I'm sure she'll be back when she can," Jennifer said. "I'm afraid everything that's happened has been extremely hard on her…she was close to both of them."

"I wonder what the papers are saying about this," Andrew mused.

"Wait, leave your trunk here," Jennifer said when distractedly Andrew forgot to tell his baggage to stop following as he went to check the post.

"Sit," Andrew said, and immediately the legs disappeared.

"Show off," Alicia told him dryly.

"Alicia, Alex, your trunks were okay, why don't you sit down for breakfast?" Jennifer said, going on to the next. "Where's Aurelius?"

"Here, Mum," Aurelius said, coming down the stairs looking quite tired.

"Didn't sleep well?" Jennifer asked as his trunk walked over.

"Not really," Aurelius admitted. "I just couldn't seem to get what happened to them off my mind."

"I know," Jennifer said gently, glancing through his things quickly before shutting it. "Try not to fret about it, I'm sure everyone is doing everything they can…"

"To what? Make sure it won't happen again?" Aurelius said. "She can strike whenever she likes, and no one seems to be making any progress in stopping her…"

"Aurelius, please, that'll do," Jennifer sighed. "Call your father down for breakfast," she said, walking into the dining room to see Andrew's nose already buried in the _Daily Prophet._

"So? What does it say?" Alex asked impatiently.

"'Minister of Law Enforcement Killed in Lightning Strike. Foul play suspected,'" Andrew read as he slipped into his seat. "'The current Minister of Magic, Draco Malfoy, has confirmed that Minister Ederick Thurspire and his wife, Megan Thurspire, were found dead in their home last evening after a fire ripped through their home. According to a tip from an Enforcer, the fire at the home was wide spread and it is believed that not one but several dozen simultaneous lightning strikes caused the blaze. The Ministry also reports that the Minister's under-aged daughter did escape the blaze and is in good health, but refuse to answer questions about her due to her young age and safety considerations. Although they would not comment on any other details of the case either, it is rumored that the popular suspect is none other than the being known as Ciardoth who has terrorized the country for years. It is assumed that the death of the current Law Enforcement Minister, as well as two popular Aurors in the summer of last year, has been acts meant to stop the Ministry's attempts to contain her. The Ministry has received a great deal of criticism for its failure to do so, spanning two administrations. Many have blamed incompetence within the Law Enforcement Department as the main cause, while others blame the Ministry's unwillingness to hire the country's top Auror, Harry Potter, to take over the case.' Well, that about sums it up, doesn't it?" he said.

"Except for who Minister Malfoy is going to choose for a new Law Enforcement Minister," Alex said.

"Well, it'd probably be DeMille, right? He's the next in line," Andrew mused.

"But the Minister hates DeMille," Alex said. "Besides, I've heard many times before that all the times anyone's asked for Thurspire's replacement, Draco Malfoy firmly was against it."

"I don't think I'm ever going to understand why," Aurelius said as he walked in the door, Severus coming in behind him a moment later.

"Father, there's some sort of odd package for you in the kitchen," Andrew said, still staring at the paper.

"Oh?" Severus frowned thoughtfully, going over to the counter near the window to find a sloppy bundle rolled in what looked to be a table linen and hastily tied with cord. He muttered a spell at it then frowned when it showed no magic resonance at all, carefully untying it.

Immediately it rolled out, and Severus stared at the folder in front of him, opening it up to find several crumpled, folded, and otherwise hastily stuffed papers at the top of an otherwise neat stack of papers.

"Jennifer," Severus called out, as he carefully began to gently straighten the papers. A moment later she appeared next to him.

"What is it," Jennifer said, glancing at the folder curiously and up at him. "You almost look like you've seen a ghost."

"Perhaps in a way I have," Severus said in a low voice, glancing at one of the notes thoughtfully. "This appears to be Thurspire's file on Ciardoth."

"What?" Jennifer said in surprise.

"He must have had some sort of wind of Ciardoth coming for him before it happened and sent it on to protect it," Severus said.

"But why to you? Why not to the Ministry?"

"Perhaps because he didn't think anyone there would believe him," Severus said in low voice.

"And you would?" Jennifer said dubiously, but stared thoughtfully at what she read in his face. Knowing he need not answer, Severus turned back to folder, frowning at some of the cryptic notations.

By the time all four Snapes got through the hassle of King's Cross and got their baggage and familiars all under control, all of them seemed quite glad to be going back to school…but none of them as much as Alicia. She greeted Morfinn warmly but then lost herself looking out the window while Andrew sat beside her, and Halbert listened intently to all the news he had missed in France.

"It is so terrible! Such horrible things are happening here!" Halbert said when Andrew finished giving him the account of saving Lindsay. "Even back home, things aren't as they should be. _Maman_ spent very little time at home, always in meetings. She is on the World Wizard Council, and they are very concerned about the shifts in time."

"Isn't everyone," Andrew sighed softly. "It doesn't seem like there's much good news these days, is there?"

"I have some good news," Morfinn said, Alicia coming out of her trance to look over at the rest of them. "I just got a letter in the post the other day. I just qualified to participate in the student exchange program. If all goes well, I'll be going to Whitebridge for half of next year to participate in their young healer's program."

"Really? That's great," Andrew said cheerfully.

"Assuming there _is_ a next year," Alicia pointed out, Morfinn frowning at her. "I'm sorry. Congratulations, Morfinn, I know it's what you've always wanted to do."

"Congratulations," Halbert echoed with a smile. "You will make a very fine doctor, if you ever get over that cold."

"It's the wet weather," Morfinn explained, sneezing violently. But Alicia merely sighed and shook her head at her friend before turning to look out the window again.

It was raining full force by the time they arrived at the station, so the visibility was so poor that no one had any idea what they were about to see as they stepped out onto the platform. Andrew puzzledly wondered why everyone had stopped dead not far from where they stepped off, standing strangely still and speechless instead of the normal bustle to get their bags. Forcing his way past, Andrew found himself doing the same thing…for except for the raised platform itself, the only thing he could see was water. There was no road. There was not even any visible signs of the boat docks…simply water, sloshing up around them, even drifting shallowly over the tracks and into the fields beyond it.

"May I have your attention!" called out the deep voice of Doctor Sagittari, although asking for silence was hardly needed. "We shall all be going to the school by boat according to year, First through Seventh. Leave all your bags, and if you can arrange yourselves in groups of six, we shall be able to conduct this as quickly as possible."

"This is terrible," Alicia murmured.

"I can't even make out the lights from here in the weather," Morfinn said. "Do you suppose the castle is all right?"

"I'm sure they would have called school off if it was not," Halbert said. But they became distracted as they saw a familiar figure working his way through the crowd and over to the centaur who was trying to organize the first years.

"Doctor," Aurelius said, finally getting his attention. "Doctor, is the Dark Forest flooded too?"

"Yes, many parts of it…"

"But what about the herd?" Aurelius said.

"They are making do, Aurelius, just as my Constellation must, and just as we must," Sagittari said gently. "Now, perhaps you will help me by organizing the others." Sighing from worry and grief over his friend, Aurelius only paused a moment to gaze in the direction the Forest should be before turning to do as he was asked, his heart especially heavy as one by one the boats were loaded and shoved off into the black lake.

Not a word was spoken by anyone as they crossed. They were all soaked by rain and staring out into the darkness in hopes of seeing anything familiar, anything warm or inviting in the distance. Finally out of seemingly nowhere they found themselves staring at a high wall of what looked like solidified sand rising more than ten feet above them, shaped like great balustrades. The main boat entrance was cut off, and Alicia spied what looked at first to be a square piece of driftwood out in the lake, but she soon recognized as the top of the shed. There was nothing very friendly even about Hogwarts. The sand walls blocked out a great deal of evening light, creating eerie shadows along the grounds and the towers and turrets. Even the castle itself, seemed murky and clouded by the falling rain; suffocating any light from the windows before it reached them.

Carefully they climbed out on a floating dock and then cautiously up a narrow stair of sand that gave strangely under their feet but never lost their shape. At the top they could see other walls built along the low lying areas of the grounds; around the Quidditch Pitch, and even around the cliff base where windows once looked out on the lake from the lower levels. Even when they finally stepped over the wall and down the other side, it was less like a homecoming and more like entering a prison, so when the students finally reached the warm recesses of the Great Hall they were all strangely solemn and serene.

They were not the only ones that appeared shocked over the state of the castle. Members of the returning staff also looked unusually pale and shaken as they took their places, not the least of which were Jennifer and Severus themselves. No one spoke when Professor Weasley and Professor Dumbledore came in together. Not a single whisper traveled through the Great Hall as they took their seats.

"Welcome back, everyone," Dumbledore said with a soft smile, not bothering to sit. "I cannot even begin to express just how glad I am to see everyone here, safe and sound. As I am sure you have noticed, those of us who stayed for the holidays have been rather busy making sure that the castle will remain safe and dry during our second term. Now, some short announcements. First…Madame Black has had to take a short leave of absence, but after speaking with her I have learned that all taking her class has been assigned to research paper subjects. So, instead of holding regular class you will be spending your normal class time in the library with Mr. Boulderdash, who will make himself available if you have any research questions," he said, glancing at the Goblin who gave them all a disturbing grin. "Now, do to the recent flooding, rules pertaining to students being off grounds will be strictly enforced. No more trips, even academic, can be conducted in the Dark Forest at this time, and trips to Hogsmeade will be unlikely," he added, earning the first rumble from the crowd since they arrived. "However, Quidditch shall be allowed to continue, with the concession that it may be cancelled if it is later deemed to be unsafe due to the weather or other dangers. Other than that, let it be noted that all indoor programs, classes and activities are encouraged to continue as normal, and those used to more outdoor activities are encouraged to join in. With that, I hope you had a pleasant holiday and that you are ready to get back into your studies. I expect to see great things from all of you this semester," he said with a smile, gesturing for the meal to appear before sitting down.

"Get ready to get back to our studies? Sounds to me like there's nothing else to do," Garret Meyers said glumly, poking at his plate.

"All right, Rel?" Stock asked quietly.

"Not really," Aurelius admitted with a sigh. "I can't help but wonder what Pali might be going through out there, and it sounds like Dumbledore's planning to cut off any way for me to actually check on him."

"Aw, sounds like our poor pitiful Prefect is pining over his pretty pony again," Garret snickered.

Without speaking a word, Eigil raised his fist above him and let it fall on Garret's head, and then went back to the sandwich he had put together. As the boy toppled off the bench, half of the table leaned over to stare at Eigil in complete shock.

"Vut are you all staring at? Haven't you seen anyvun faint before?" Eigil said, turning back to his dinner. A moment later Madame Brittle was there, helping Garret up while he stood with his hands on his head.

"Is there a problem?" she frowned at them, looking first at the unconcerned Eigil before her eyes settled on where Aurelius and Stella sat.

"He fainted," Aurelius shrugged, turning back to his meal. "Perhaps it was something he ate."

"Perhaps he bit off more dan he could chew," Eigil suggested in a low voice.

"That can happen," Danny decided. "Come on, Garret, let's make sure you didn't hurt your head or anything on the way down."

"You never know, it could be an improvement," Heph put in after they had walked away, grinning at Aurelius.

"We wouldn't get that lucky," Aurelius said, a snigger suddenly going up from all around him. "By the way, Heph, feel free to store that trunk of yours in our room if you like."

"I'll consider it," Heph said evenly as they turned their attention to their meal.


	27. Triple Play

_A/N Second chapter for the day. _

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Triple Play

Alicia waited until the majority of students were heading to their rooms before she slipped down a deserted side hall and woke up a painting that was there.

"Pardon me, but is Mr. Pyther working in the castle tonight?" Alicia asked

"Ah yes," said the painting of a ghostly ship captain. "I believe he's up near the corridor on the thirteenth floor, cleaning the painting of the grey mare. After all, that old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be," said the captain and then burst out in a guffaw at his own joke.

"Yes, very clever, thank you," Alicia said with a painful smile as she head further up the staircase.

It was not hard to find the vampire after she had gotten to the correct floor, for he had set up his painting just off the landing, chatting companionably to many of the paintings in the area who all seemed to be vying his attentions, hoping for cleaning and touch ups. The horse he was working on raised his head away from a tuft of lush looking late spring grass, pricking up his ears as it curiously looked at the girl approaching.

"There you are," Alicia said, nearly making the nervous painter drop his brush, catching the painting and righting the easel before it went tumbling to the ground. Alicia did her best to curb a chuckle. "I see you're still here."

"Oh, yes! Welcome back!" Francis Pyther said with a smile. "With all the flooding, it's been hard to get anyone to show me underground housing, actually. But never mind that, I'm terribly glad to see you."

"Really?" Alicia said.

"Oh, yes, well, I wanted to thank you, especially, for your…present…your offer to do my portrait. I've never had such a flattering offer. Although…well, it is a noble offer, since you know my position, although I'm not sure how appropriate it would be…" Pyther explained.

"So what you're saying is that I'm not ready to do portraits yet?" Alicia frowned.

"Oh, no, don't be silly. You're a brilliant artist, Alicia. Actually, I've always thought so," Pyther said. "But there are certain things one must consider when choosing a subject. Proprieties one must learn and all of that…when you're, well, attempting to get an accurate picture of someone you don't know that well…"

"But I've known you for years," Alicia chuckled, shaking his head at him.

"Well, yes, but…maybe I'm not telling this properly," Pyther decided. "Your painting techniques are quite defined, but we have yet to really work on learning to get the most out of your subject…learning to, say…ask the right questions…inspire the right memories, and yet always with complete respect for the subject's sensitivities, approaching it without personal judgment of their individual choices, and of course, with confidentiality. It really is more complicated than you might think."

"Then perhaps it's about time I learned all that, isn't it?" Alicia said softly. "Teach me."

"Teach you?" Pyther repeated, then shook his head. "That would not be easy to do if I myself were the subject."

"Are you so afraid of having your own painting done as all of that?" Alicia sighed at him.

"No, no, it's not that exactly, it's just that I think perhaps you ought to start with an easier subject. Perhaps someone you don't know at all so can look at the project with a true clean stretch of canvas and with an artistic eye, and hopefully not one with over six hundred years of baggage," Pyther said quietly.

"Yes, well, you do realize that the longer you wait to have it done, the more of that baggage you're going to accumulate," Alicia said. "Besides, after all those years of creating paintings and caring for paintings, don't you think there shouldn't be some image of the man responsible for them all? And when was the last time you were actually able to see yourself as you really are?" Pyther chewed on his lip, glancing at the mare and other paintings in the hall. "Please, Mr. Pyther, you've taught me so much. Let me give this one thing back."

"Well, I can't say it's not tempting," Pyther admitted. "Fine, but let's do a trade. I'll do your portrait as well, so you can learn some of the subtleties involved before we attempt such a thing, and also so it'll be a fair exchange. I wouldn't feel right about accepting such an offer without something in return."

"Very well, Mr. Pyther," Alicia said with an enigmatic smile before she glanced at the painting. "She's looking much better, isn't she? I heard the old grey mare wasn't what she used to be."

Pyther paused at that and chuckled at her, while the horse snorted as if offended.

"That's very clever, isn't it?" Pyther said, and Alicia simply grinned and shook her head at him.

Halbert stood over Andrew's shoulder anxiously as Andrew finished penning the letter then waited for it to dry before casting the spell to change it to Halbert's writing.

"There you are, Halbert, one more letter for Ginger from you," Andrew sighed, handing it to him. "You know, you really need to start learning how to write these on your own. I can't keep doing this forever."

"But I can never seem to write anywhere as well as you do. Perhaps I could in _Français_, but she doesn't know _Français!_ And I can't write poetry at all," Halbert protested, sitting down to read it. "Besides, ever since you began doing this, she has actually started to notice me! She wrote me three times over the holiday. And I think we might start a Herbology project together."

"Good, perhaps that'll give you enough nerve to start doing this on your own," Andrew said. "I have a complicated enough love life without adding yours to the mix, Halbert. Shelly was quite cross when I went to the ball with June after I had to turn down her invitation to her Yule party."

"But I thought Shelly just saw you as a friend?" Halbert said curiously.

"Well, apparently that friend thing was more complicated than I originally thought," Andrew said. "It seems that some girls, even if they say they completely understand that you're just friends, still tend to get…attached."

"Why? I mean, she already has a boyfriend, why would she care?"

"If you ever find out the answer to that question, let me know," Andrew said before getting up to get ready for bed.

Alex gasped when she heard the door open and stood paralyzed by Severus' potion shelf in his office with several bottles of Oatsbane in hand. Sighing loudly, Severus glanced up at the ceiling as she quickly put away what she was after, apologizing profusely before making her way out of his office, her cheeks bright red despite the fact she otherwise looked completely composed.

The moment she was out of the door she hurried her pace dramatically, taking the steps by two until she reached the Ravenclaw common room and took a moment to catch her breath before heading up to her room.

"I am going to be so glad to get out of school!" Alexandria declared. Mandria, who was still unpacking grinned at her.

"So will I. But why this time?" Mandria asked, knowing her friend well enough to know that she has a different reason for the way she felt every moment of the day.

"For one thing, there is no privacy in this school whatsoever…especially having two parents working here," Alex said, pulling out the chain around her neck. Dangling beside the heart locket Ben had given her over the summer was a simple ring, which she stared at wistfully.

"Quaint," Mandria said carefully when she glanced at the ring. "Very, um…dainty."

"Oh, I know it's not much," Alex said, nodding knowingly. "But it is a lot to Ben. Right now he's struggling to make ends meet, so I'm awfully surprised he managed it at all. Of course, it's my fault he's even in that position, what with his family and all."

"Muggle snobs," Mandria agreed.

"His mother thinks I will prevent him from 'keeping his feet on the ground,' whatever that means," Alex said with a sigh, putting her necklace back out of sight. "Perhaps she is right in a way…he ended up coming along with us when we went to try and save Lindsay. I hope she's going to be all right."

"Where's she at now?"

"Still at the hospital, but I imagine she'll be going to stay with Aunt Anna. She doesn't have any relatives, and Anna was her legal godmother," Alexandria explained, laying down on her bed. "But I'm sure none of them expected Uncle Sirius to be in such a strange position right now."

"Understandable, though, isn't it?"

"Yes, everyone keeps saying that," Alex admitted, leaning on her side a moment to look at her. "All the same, it doesn't make it easier…especially on Zoë and Zack. They spend most of their holiday at our house or at Harry's or somewhere else…" she sighed, and laid back again. "The world is so messed up on so many levels, Mandria. It's like we're all truly in this huge nightmare that we can't wake up from…maybe that's it, maybe we're all trapped…more than just in a certain season…more than just in this castle…but trapped by our destinies to meet a bad end whether we fight it or not."

"One day back, and already you're trying to get philosophical," Mandria sighed, rolling her eyes at her. "Besides, I thought you always believed in free will."

"Maybe I did once," Alex said thoughtfully. "But after everything that's happened over the holiday, now I'm not so sure."

Alex woke up to find it still dark, but no one was in the room with her. Curiously she sat up, wondering where Mandria and her other roommates were, their absence so odd that she found herself getting out of bed and pulling on her night robe. But even when she walked out into the common room, no one was there. Feeling extremely disoriented, Alex found herself walking out, hurrying towards the Great Hall, wondering if she had missed some sort of emergency alarm or something.

"Alex!" Alex stopped on the stair, her heart thumping as Alicia looked at her from the landing near her own house rooms. "Isn't this odd? Where is everyone?"

"I don't know, but I'm glad you're here," Alex said, stepping down the stairs. "This is very strange. What do you suppose could be wrong?"

"Why aren't any of the paintings moving?" Alicia wanted to know. Alex paused and looked at the walls, staring as Alicia was at the paintings completely frozen in place.

"Come on, let's try the Great Hall," Alex suggested in a low voice, and the two of them continued on. But when they arrived at the Great Hall, they found themselves standing in the doorway, for the lights were dark and no one was there.

"What? Hullo!" said Andrew's voice, and suddenly he appeared at the other end of the hall coming towards them. "Are you real?"

"What sort of question is that? Of course we're real," Alexandria said in exasperation. "Have you happened to see anyone? No one was in our dorms."

"Same here," Andrew said with surprise. "I came downstairs to see if Halbert was in the kitchen, but to be honest, when I saw he wasn't there and nobody else was about I was beginning to think I was dreaming."

"Dreaming?" Alex echoed looking at Alicia unsurely, but Alicia had the same look on her face. "You don't think we really are?"

"If we are, it's awful convincing," Alicia said in a low voice.

"Convincing, perhaps," Andrew said, pulling out his wand. "But not quite convincing enough. "This is my old wand, not my new birch one. We are dreaming. Or at least, I am."

"I think I'm dreaming too," Alex murmured.

"That would explain the paintings," Alicia agreed, getting out her wand as well. "Should we try to wake ourselves up before anything happens?"

"Wait, what if Aurelius is in here too?" Andrew said. "We'd better go make sure he's not in trouble."

"This is really weird…not knowing if the two of you are just part of the dream or are really here," Alicia said.

"Considering we all seem to be thinking that, I'd say we all somehow are apart of the same dream…although who knows who's head it started in," Alex said. "We'd better stick together."

"Agreed," Andrew said. "Come on, let's try the Slytherin rooms," he suggested. Leaving their wands out, the three of them crept through the eerily empty castle. But not only did they find the painting of the Grinning Grackle open for anyone to enter, it was also quite empty.

"Everything in there is very bizarre isn't it?" Alicia said as they stood in the doorway. "Like toy furniture."

"Yes, you're right! It looks rather like a larger version of the model we made!" Andrew said.

"What do you suppose that means? I mean, all of the other rooms looked normal to me," Alex said.

"I suppose it's because none of us have actually been in there," Andrew said.

"Perhaps that also means that Rel didn't get stuck in the dream," Alicia suggested.

"Perhaps," Andrew said. "Although I would hate to assume he got out just from that."

"Well, if I were Aurelius, on my own, and not knowing what's going on, I'd probably go to Father's office," Alex reasoned.

"Right," Andrew agreed with a nod. "Let's check there."

The secret passages, they knew, would be the quickest way there, and Andrew had happened to have had occasion to follow Aurelius in the one near the Slytherin rooms. It took very little time to get there, but in many ways it felt to them to take forever, for they knew that other forces were at work in the dream. That fact became even clearer as they stepped into the Defense classroom to see the lights lit in the office. Inside the office sat Severus Snape, staring at the contents of the folder Thurspire had sent him. Several of the pages were spread out in front of them, and he was gazing at them with a critical eye.

"Father!" Andrew said with surprise when they came in. "Are you in the dream too?"

But Severus didn't answer. He didn't even seem to see them at all as he stared at one in particular, murmuring off names on a crumpled paper.

"Western Isle, New Grange, Anglesey, Stonehenge," he said as if to himself, then paused, digging through them again until he pulled out a small note card with three others written, all with question marks written beside them. "Snape, Old Romney, and Worcester?" he said, shaking his head. "What the devil would they have anything to do with anything?" he asked himself, opening up another piece of paper filled with strange lines, and English words written underneath. "The battle of Time shall commence within the dragon's maw," he murmured, double checking the runes and the translation with a puzzled look on his face. Putting it down and shaking his head, Severus went over to his bookshelf to grab an atlas but then paused, gazing around with a strange expression on his face. His hand went to his neck thoughtfully, but his chain hadn't changed in temperature.

"Rasputin, do you smell anything odd?" Severus hissed.

"I smell you. I smell mice. Can I have a mouse?" Rasputin hissed back. But Severus ignored him, glancing around one more time before turning back to his bookshelf. Alicia and Andrew looked at Alex questioningly.

"I don't know…he doesn't see us, and yet it's like he senses something's there in some way," Alex said. "It's weird, but in some ways I think he's more real than we are."

"I don't think Aurelius is in this," Andrew said after they watching him flipping through books, slipping on his spectacles. "That being said, I think it's time we got out of this dream before something bad happens."

"All right…just not from here," Alex said, gazing at her father warily as if half afraid they would suddenly appear in his office if they were to awaken.

"Right," Andrew said. "Come on, let's step out."

"What do you suppose all of that he was saying to himself was about?" Alex said. Alicia sighed to herself. "It was all place names, wasn't it?"

"Later, Alex, later," Andrew said, stepping out into the hall. "We can talk about it once we wake up."

"Hang on a moment," Alicia said, staring out the window. "Look! There's someone outside! It looks like Rel!"

"What would Rel be doing out in that sort of weather?" Alex asked, then they all looked at one another knowingly.

"Pali," they all said together.

"Come on, let's go get him," Andrew said, and they raced down the corridor and down to the main entrance, running down the stairs and calling his name as they tried to catch up with him. But either Aurelius wasn't listening or he didn't hear them, for he kept on going, past Sagittari's hut and the pens, scanning the sand wall that barricaded the flooded Forest from the school and walked up the stairs. "Hullo! Don't you see us?" Andrew said when they got to the bottom, but Aurelius merely stood at the top, looking over the wall with a solemn look on his face.

"He's not here either, just like Father," Alicia said. "What do you suppose he's doing?"

She didn't have to wait long to find out the answer; for Aurelius had reached in his pocket and pulled out something shiny…the Coin of Indecision, they quickly realized as it went into the air.

"Should I go find Pali?" Aurelius asked it, catching it on the way down and staring into it. Nodding at what he saw, he put it away. Taking a quick look back and sighing, Aurelius continued down the other side.

"He is going to be so toast if Father finds out," Alex said.

"It's just a dream, isn't it?" Alicia said, but Alex looked a bit unsure.

"Isn't it quaint?" said a woman's amused voice from behind them, and the three instantly turned around, all three wands pointed at Ciardoth's giant figure. "How even in the dream the three of you go out of your way to stick your noses into things…just like your busy little father attempting even now to thwart the inevitable."

"If whatever you're doing is inevitable, why kill the Thurspires?" Andrew asked.

"Because I wanted to, silly child," she giggled strangely. "Because he was of no use to me, and really it hardly matters, does it? Nor does your attempt to save the girl, for the end is near...yes, I am certain of it," she said almost wistfully, gazing up at the cloudy sky before turning back to them with a sinister smile. "And one of you will become instrumental in helping me destroy this school beforehand."

"Not bloody likely," Alicia snorted. But Ciardoth merely laughed.

"You shall, whether you even know it or not. Care to see a bit of what the end of this universe is going to look like?" she said, raising her arms.

"Look out!" Alex warned as the clouds suddenly parted and the constellations in the sky began to come alive, spinning strangely faster and faster until the sky itself seemed to close in on the three of them as if caught in a funnel, the stars making a strange army that began to charge them.

"Grab hands! Don't forget this is a dream!" Andrew shouted. "She can't control it completely! Wake up! Wake up everyone!"

Just then, one of the fiery constellations broke off and they three of them found themselves looking in the jaws of a dragon a hundred times larger than Ciardoth herself, its mouth opening. But instead of fire, out came a blackness so complete that nothing seemed to escape it. Just then, a single word spell burst out of Andrew's mouth.

Andrew woke with a jolt and looked around to see Halbert in the bed next to him, snoring away. On the other side of him, Phil Rich had kicked off his blankets as he always did; half of him dangling off the bed. Andrew's heart beat very heavy in his chest as he threw back his covers, taking only a second to grab his slippers and his robe before running out of his rooms to the main stairwell, looking up and down it. A moment later, Alex appeared near another rail and then Alicia, each letting out a sigh of relief as they worked there way to the same level.

"So you were really both in it too," Alicia said. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, thanks to Andrew. Good thinking casting that waking spell."

"To be perfectly honest I wasn't sure it was going to work, being that we were in the dream," Andrew said.

"What was that whole last bit all about? With the blackness? And the stars and everything?" Alicia asked, shivering. "It was almost literally like the sky was falling."

"Or getting sucked in by something," Alex said, then glanced at Andrew, who looked thoughtful. "Well, we need to go tell Father what happened."

"Hang on a moment…what about Aurelius?" Andrew said. "Going into the Forest, I mean."

"Well, that was just apart of the dream, right?" Alex said.

"I'm not so sure," Andrew said. "I'd hate to get him intro trouble…"

"All that same, Father would want to know right away about something like this," Alex said.

"Hang on," Alicia said, turning and looking at the paintings before choosing one. "Would you be willing to check with the Grackle to see if Aurelius is in his room?"

"Certainly, m'lady," the kindly-looking wizard with the purple beard said, disappearing from his frame. It wasn't very long at all before he was stepping back into it again. "It appears, m'lady, that Master Snape of Slytherin House is not in his rooms at the moment, nor in the castle proper as far as I can tell."

Alicia turned to the other two questioningly, but both of them had the same baffled expressions on their faces that she knew she herself had.


	28. Connections

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Connections

When Aurelius entered the passages the next morning, he was more than a little surprised to see his three other siblings waiting just inside, giving him an almost appraising look.

"Go on ahead," Aurelius said to Stock and Heph, who looked curiously at the three as they passed by on their way to breakfast. Aurelius waited for the passage to clear again before turning to them. "All right, what's up?"

"Well, we were just wondering how Pali and the herd were doing," Alex said. Aurelius stared at each one for a moment.

"And how would I know?" he said expressionlessly.

"Because we think you went out there last night," Andrew said. Aurelius suddenly turned his attention to his brother.

"Have you been spying on me again?" Aurelius challenged him.

"It's not his fault, Rel," Alex interrupted as Andrew took a step behind Alicia, who rolled her eyes. "We had a run-in with Ciardoth last night."

"What?" Aurelius said, blinking. "Why didn't anyone tell me before?"

"We haven't told anyone," Alex said. "We didn't want to get you into trouble…"

"Alexandria, that's the second time this year you've said that to me and I swear if you ever say that again, I'll spell you silly," Aurelius snapped. "Are you all completely insane?"

"We were on our way to Father's office now," Andrew said quickly. "But we wanted to talk to you first."

"Fine, start talking, but start walking to the office at the same time," Aurelius said firmly, pointing them down the passage.

Severus had put aside the file that morning and had hurriedly begun to look over his lesson plans for the day when their knock came. Distractedly he waved the door open, but became more interested when he saw all four of them there.

"Father, these three have something to tell you," Aurelius said, closing the door behind them.

"Yes?" Severus said. Andrew and Alicia glanced at Alex.

"We had a dream last night. All three of us. And Ciardoth was in it," Alex explained. Severus squinted.

"What do you mean, all three of you?" he asked.

"Well, we were all in the same dream together," Alex went on. "We all found ourselves walking through Hogwarts, only there was no one else in it…well, except you, but everyone else was completely gone."

"Actually, we weren't even sure it was a dream at first," Andrew put in. "We tried to look for Aurelius, but he wasn't a part of the dream in the same way we were…all conscious, I mean."

"But you said I was in the dream?" Severus frowned.

"Yes," Alex said. "We thought that maybe if Rel was there too he might have gone to your office, so we went there…and you were there, but you didn't see us. You were looking at Thurspire's folder and reading off a bunch of town names or something." Severus stared at her expressionlessly, but the color was draining out of his face. "You even looked around and asked Rasputin if he smelled anything."

"How long were you there?" Severus asked sharply.

"Not long," Andrew said. "By then I was insisting we work on forcing ourselves awake…but, when we went out in the hall to talk about how to do that, we saw a shadow outside and decided to investigate."

"Yes, that's when we ran into Ciardoth," Alex put in quickly. "She started taunting us and claimed that one of us was…was going to help her destroy the school. And then she began to try and pull us into this vortex of stars that looked like a dragon, saying something about that's what's going to happen at the end of everything."

"Vortex of stars?" Severus frowned.

"That's when Andrew woke us up using a spell," Alicia said.

"Why didn't you come to me then?" Severus asked. Alicia looked at the others.

"We fell back to sleep," Andrew said quickly.

"After you had a dream that obviously involved Ciardoth and obviously invaded three of your minds, you simply went back to sleep? Without a concern over your other siblings or Aurelius? And what do you mean he wasn't there in the same way you were?" Severus asked Andrew.

"Well, I mean, he didn't seem to be in the dream like us, that's all," Andrew said.

"Why didn't you come to me right away?" Severus demanded.

"We didn't want to wake you," Alicia said quickly.

"Yes, we didn't know if that part of the dream was real or not," Alex added. "Was it?"

Severus leaned back in his chair and folded his fingers together, looking at them skeptically a moment before answering.

"Yes," he said at last. "It appears that at least in part of the dream you were astral traveling in the real world."

"I wonder why we didn't see anyone else, though? I mean, our dorms were vacant," Andrew said.

"Family connection, perhaps," Severus mused. "That might also explain how more than one of you went…either the person whose dream this began with pulled the other of you two in as a defense, or two of you subconsciously sensed the other in need and by use of the mind training were able to come to the rescue. Are there any indications, from what she did, or said, or what you experienced, that leaned towards one of you having the dream over another?" But after a moment, all three of them shook their heads.

"Well, at least we know it's not Rel," Alex said, looking over at Aurelius. But Aurelius looked quite thoughtful.

"Yes, that is the one fortunate thing about the event, considering that were he with you we would not know if her memory was of future or present events," Severus said quietly.

"What happened to me had nothing at all to do about any sort of sky vortexes," Aurelius pointed out.

"Not everything in one's dreams can be taken as literal, Aurelius. They can be very metaphoric, as you will learn when you take Divination this semester," Severus said. Aurelius grimaced at the reminder.

"But if that's true, then what does it mean?" Alex asked with exasperation. Severus looked thoughtful for a moment.

"You need to get to your classes. I want to see you all right after dinner to start up the lessons again," Severus said. "And if anything like this happens again or you even suspect a dream may be tampered with, you are to _immediately_ wake yourself up and _immediately_ contact me. Is that quite clear?" He said in such an unbending done that each one answered in turn. "Good. Aurelius, stay here a moment, please." The others looked at one another before filing out, Aurelius not moving from the spot he had taken up when they had first came in the room. "So, how was Pali?" Severus asked after they left, pulling his paperwork back over.

"How would I know how he is, Father?" Aurelius asked.

"Aurelius, even had your brother not slipped and indicated that you were in the dream in some form, I find it completely out of character for your siblings not to have thoroughly checked each other and your whereabouts after such a disturbing occurrence, nor do I believe they would have delayed coming to me without a reason. Furthermore, I happened to consult my watch last evening before turning in to find your needle pointing at "Elsewhere," do you care to further deny it?" Severus said starkly.

"No, Sir," Aurelius said quietly. "I had to make sure they were all right, that's all. It won't happen again."

"No, it will not," Severus said sternly. "Just because you are a Slytherin Prefect does not mean you are above the rules, Aurelius…and before you speak, attempting to use your bond with Pali as an excuse would be an insult to it. You have already been instructed to come to Sagittari or myself if ever Pali's urgings become too powerful, I expect you will do so. The Headmaster has plans to suspend and perhaps even expel any student he finds out of bounds this year because of the intense danger anyone would be in by crossing the walls, and that doesn't even count the fact that some denizens of this school have had their lives personally threatened by Ciardoth for some time. Now, since technically speaking I have no proof in the matter, I won't lodge a formal complaint on your activities, but son or not, former housemaster or not, I will not cover for you again, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Sir," Aurelius said evenly.

"Fine. I expect you to report to my office during the weekend as well, but I wouldn't make a big deal of it if I were you, considering after all that your chosen profession particularly demands a rather clean record. Now, get out, I have work to do," Severus said, waving him off. Aurelius slumped his shoulders slightly but nodded, exiting without a word. For a moment Severus merely sat and shook his head, but then he leaned back again, thinking over what he just heard. "A vortex of stars," Severus murmured again. He shook his head, wondering how such a thing could fit into what was going on.

Sighing, Severus gathered up his papers and books and picked them up to make his way to the classroom to finish the rest of it while the students filed in. But in so doing, it uncovered the atlas he had been looking at before, opening to the Great Britain page. Suddenly he paused, staring at it as if seeing it for the first time. Squinting at it a moment, he sat his books down again and grabbed his quill and filled it with ink, deeply marking each place that Thurspire had written down with a large black blot. It was at that point that he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Thurspire was onto something after all.

At midday, Jennifer looked up with surprise when he strode in with such speed and such a look of determination she knew immediately something was going on.

"I'm afraid I can't eat with you right now, Jennifer. I need to go see Sinistra during lunch today to ask her about something I've found out, so go ahead and head to the staff room, if you'd like."

"It's all right, I can just grab a bite. Are you sure Cassi will even be awake yet? You know how she sleeps late…"

"My appointment book didn't argue, so I imagine it's good enough," Severus said.

"Aren't you at least going to tell me what's going on?" Jennifer said as he turned back towards the door.

"I would, but I don't have the time right now. I'll fill you in tonight," Severus promised, sweeping out the door. Puzzled about the look on his face and wondering what the children had to do with it, Jennifer distractedly made herself a bowl of porridge and went back to her class work.

Severus was so intent with confirming his findings and speculating what they might mean that he hadn't even noticed that he had passed the Headmaster, who called his name from a side corridor as Severus continued towards the Astrology Tower. A moment later, Severus passed by him again, but this time he cleared his throat so loudly that Severus looked around. Immediately he stopped in his tracks and came back over, nodding respectfully to Albus.

"Good afternoon, Severus. Do you happen to have lunch free?"

"Actually no, I have an appointment with Cassi Sinistra…"

"So early?" Albus said with surprise. "Well, perhaps dinner, then? I'd like to go over that article of yours to suggest some changes and an addition or two before you submit it…"

"Actually, I have business at dinner as well…I plan to inform you about it, of course, when I have something more solid to report…"

"School business then?" Albus asked casually. Severus thought about it.

"Indirectly, yes…"

"Well, I suppose that's good enough. See you at breakfast, Severus. I'll make sure it gets into your appointment book so that you don't forget this time," he said evenly.

"Yes, Professor…"

"Albus, Severus," Albus said quietly.

"Yes, Professor," Severus repeated, turning to continue towards the tower. What in the world was into the old Headmaster? Going about school business as nothing else mattered? As if the universe wasn't on the verge of a crisis like none they had ever experienced before? Pushing aside a fleeting thought that perhaps the Headmaster's age or the death of his familiar was to blame for his sudden preoccupation, Severus made a mental note to find a moment to tell Hermione about his concerns before his thoughts turned back to more pressing matters. He never turned around, nor did he see the shake of Albus Dumbledore's head, or the curious smile of mixed concern, sadness, and yet strange relief, that crossed the old wizard's expression.

Cassi Sinistra was not a morning person…or even an early afternoon person. She had often joked dryly that that was why she fell into studying both Astrology as well as Astronomy; a firm believer that conflicts between the two sciences were nothing but imperceptions. Lately, however, the movements had been anything but typical in the rare occasions the clouds were thin enough to see them…instead she used her time to take sun and moon sightings, while reluctantly teaching all of her classes within the small planetarium in the tower since it always now rained that time at night.

She had heard many, even Dumbledore himself, speculate that the rain was not only acting as an effective preoccupation for Ciardoth's enemies, but also to hide her own tracks. So Cassi was only mildly surprised to get a note from Severus Snape, despite the fact that they had very different philosophies on her specialized topic; to him, Astrology was merely something to study to appease the Centaurs of the Dark Forest, and Astronomy, though holding more of an interest, really had very little to do with what was happening on the planet. But the current events of the day were very distinctly changing Severus' mind…especially when it came to the latter subject.

Fortunately for Severus she had somehow managed to get several cups of espresso down before he had gotten up to her office, so was able to quickly focus in and welcome him in with her usual thin, serious smile.

"Severus. I suppose you're here to see my sunset and sunrise observations?" she asked.

"Yes, among other things, but there's something else I need to consult you about first," Severus said, opening the atlas to where he had it marked on the desk in front of her. "I want to know if this looks like what I believe it does."

"It's the Large Ladle asterim," she said without hesitation. "The Big Dipper, as some call it, part of Ursa Major constellation. The handle is spread out a bit, though. Might I ask why it's blotted upon a terrestrial map?"

"These were all places that Thurspire was researching before his death…some of them very notable ancient cites often associated with the Danaan or the Druids…except for these last three…I have no idea how they connect other than being the pointers of the Ladle," he said, pointing to the southwestern towns.

"Well, all three are notable medieval sights, obviously, going back at least a thousand years…of course some of these are far older. Perhaps Sally Scribe would know more," she shrugged.

"I have a feeling this connection to the stars is something that has existed for quite some time…something ancient that Thurspire stumbled upon," Severus murmured.

"Perhaps, or is it some sort of strange coincidence? Or perhaps he was off track, as he always tended to be?" Cassi said bluntly. "He's not known for his precision, after all, and although I can perhaps believe that each of these sights held some sort of ancient significance whether we know it or not…it's not even a true constellation, merely a part of one."

"True enough, however I can't help but think there is something to this. There are other interesting points, such as the fact that the lead stars seem to point to the North Sea…North…Polaris…" Cassi couldn't help but look slightly amused at his observation.

"Well, it may represent Polaris in some vague way, Severus, but if this is as old as you believe it is, it certainly doesn't represent north," Cassi said. "Not all stars are exactly in line, as you well know, not to mention the planet has a bit of a wobble and so the patterns change over hundreds of years, which, admittedly, could explain some of the variations in the handle of the Ladle. But a few thousand years ago, Polaris wasn't the North Star at all; it was actually Thuban, the star at the base of the tail of Draco." Severus stared at her, his face strangely draining of color.

"A dragon made of stars…" he murmured. "Where does that constellation fall now?"

"Well, hang on a moment," Cassi sighed, grabbing a tiny cup off a tray real quick, offering Severus one. After he waved it away with a grimace she drank hers down, then took the Atlas and brought it over to a huge slanted table, Severus following closely behind. "Here we are, Draco. The tail sits in between the two ladles, as you can see, and jags up from there…actually, this time of year he's on his back if you look north…"

"But if you were to look at it when Thuban was the pole direction?"

"He'd look like he was spinning on his own tail, I suppose," she said, tilting her head slightly as she watched him line the atlas up with her star charts. "What are you doing?"

"Look at the land mass as opposed to the constellation of Draco once it's aligned in position with the markings for the Ladle…assuming, of course, I'm right and the small Ladle would be over the ocean and line Cepheus up with Norway…"

"Yes and Cassiopeia with Sweden I suppose," Cassi mused ruefully.

"I am sure that like the sky, the topography below has changed slightly over the years, but do you see how they jut to the left and right rather resembles the pattern in Draco as if it were crossing the two coastlines?" Severus said.

"Not that I know where you are actually going with this, Severus, but yes. And I suppose that would put the head of the dragon in our backyard, so to speak," she said. But Severus had already noticed that, and he also knew a few moments later after looking at Sinistra's sunset observations that time was without running out…perhaps in more ways than one.


	29. It Takes a Child

_A/N Second Chapter for the day, and a long one...if these are a tad rough, sorry, trying to get all this done; I got 2-3 more to do here, so it's going to be close LOL Thanks for reading, JCWriter. _

Chapter Twenty-Nine

It Takes a Child

Severus entered the classroom to find the fourth years waiting for him. They immediately faced forward as he strode into the room and dropped a stack of books and paper on the desk before heading wordlessly towards his office. Beside the door, Descartes greeted him loudly, then waited with renewed alertness when the professor reappeared with his class notes in hand.

"Pass up your work from over the holiday," Severus said, gesturing for the blackboard to move forward and putting on his spectacles. "As I'm sure you may have guessed from the material I had you complete, we will be starting with major undead creatures this term. I hope for your own sake you took your time but kept it concise," he said, looking dubiously at Zoë and Zack who merely smiled beatifically back at him. Suspiciously he looked through the papers and pulled Zack's out, looking it over scrupulously. "Hm," he said simply, and went to the next row. "Morfinn, are you going to sneeze in my class?" Morfinn, who was holding his nose tight, shook his head fervently. "Good. I hardly thought you wanted to start off with extra homework. Miss Snape," he added, gathering her paper as well before heading back up to the desk.

"There are two main types of undead creatures, as you know…those that typically destroy life, and those that destroy souls, both of which often use their victims or the corpses of the victims to grow in number. Up to this point, you have mainly studied undead that act from a sort of mindless instinct or low intellect. Now we are going to begin to look at those types which may sometimes have individuals with exceptional intellect; the most famous, of course, being the vampire. Can anyone tell me how vampires come about?" Severus asked. Alicia's hand quickly went up, followed by a few less enthusiastic ones. But Severus had noticed that Morfinn had his handkerchief out and was fussing with his nose again. "Mr. Bliant? Unless that's a flag of surrender?" he asked evenly. Several of his classmates snickered when he blushed slightly, putting it down.

"Vampirism is known to be caused by a victim dying while another vampire is feeding from them, whether the death is intentional or accidental. The condition then is transmitted to the body of the victim, which keeps it in a state of animation mimicking life," Morfinn said.

"Correct," Severus said turning towards the blackboard.

"Although," Morfinn added, the professor looking slightly irritated about having to turn back around. "There is a lot of speculation on a political front on whether to call it a condition of being undead, or as a disease such as lycanthropy is."

"Lycanthropy does not cause the death of the victim, Mr. Bliant," Severus pointed out. "Generally speaking, vampires actually maintain a pseudo-intellect and should not be mistaken for a living being. They are only mimicking life in most cases, since the soul of the victim left the owner at the time of death," he said, then noticed his daughter's hand was still raised. "Yes, Miss Snape?"

"Well, what about the cases where the soul doesn't leave? Aren't they at least partially still alive?" Alicia asked.

"Technically, no," Severus said evenly. "However, it is correct that politically speaking they are treated as magical creatures because of that anomaly, instead of as undead menaces. But we are not speaking politics, merely facts, Miss Snape."

"But why do those souls stay?" Alicia pressed. "And since they have their old minds and personalities and their bodies still work, why wouldn't they be considered alive?"

"For one thing, they are static. They do not grow, nor do they function on the same level that we do."

"A lot of things don't function the same way we do, but that's hardly an argument that they're not alive," Alicia said.

"This is also not a philosophy class, Miss Snape," Severus snapped. "By definition, death must have occurred to become a vampire, and therefore they are not alive. Death is a permanent condition."

"Really? Then how did Voldemort come back?" Alicia asked. Immediately Severus reacted.

"Fifteen points off Hufflepuff for insolence. You will go by the book definition and leave your personal convictions out of this topic, and if you bring it up again, you will be serving detention," Severus said, several of her classmates eyes widening while Alicia looked unusually defiant, much to Severus' frustration. "Also I want a twenty-four inch scroll from you on the definition of undead and why all vampires fall into that category with relation to the book you are studying," he tapped the top of her book firmly. "And not anything theoretical, political, personal, or anything else that you may have heard."

As Severus turned back to the blackboard, he heard an unmistakable sigh but attempted to ignore it, and in fact her, for the rest of the class, pushing back his parental concerns until after the class. He paused then and watched as she gathered up her books and watched her still rebellious composure, quite tempted to pull her aside. But at last he decided against it, and instead began to work his way down to Jennifer's office. She waved distractedly when he came in, busily searching for her notes for her next class on her unkempt desk.

"Jennifer, have you noticed anything odd with Alicia lately?" he asked, and Jennifer nearly laughed outright.

"Severus, I have been trying to tell you that for months," Jennifer said, shaking her head at him.

"This isn't something about a chosen color choice Jennifer," Severus frowned, but immediately recalled from their last conversation that Jennifer had thought it was more than that as well. "No, this is definitely something more. Have you happened to notice that she has become unusually attached to Francis Pyther, lately?"

"Actually, she's been unusually attached to him for years," Jennifer said. "Not really surprising, is it, considering her talent? After all, we've all had to deal with the occasional student admirer…" Severus stared at her, and Jennifer's lip twitched. "All right, perhaps not all of us."

"This is more than just a normal infatuation," Severus said after he thought about it a moment.

"Do you want me to talk to her about it? Not that I'm sure it'll do much good," Jennifer added wryly.

"Perhaps we should speak to Pyther about it first," Severus decided, glancing at his watch. "But not tonight. I need to go see Draco during my conference, and then we need to have a family meeting tonight to make sure everyone knows what's been going on. If I'm not back right away, have the children meet in your sitting room and I'll give you an update."

"All right, Severus," Jennifer said thoughtfully, watching as he left. For a brief moment when he turned, she had caught a glimpse of intense concern as his mind went from family matters to whatever it was plaguing him to go to Draco about. Of course Ciardoth was at the center of his concern…but it had been some time since she had last seen his face quite that grave.

It wasn't long before Draco discovered just how much he hated detective work. It was much more preferable to have people do it for him…but the Enforcers, he quickly decided, were full of nothing but bumbling idiots…nearly incapable of taking orders let alone giving them. How Thurspire dealt with it so long he had no idea. Draco sighed with frustration as he and Peasegood waited at the front desk of St. Mungo's for a resident. He had asked Arnie, of course, if he were interested in the LE Minister position, but had been politely turned down, explaining quite bluntly that his patience was best served as Malfoy's adviser and, as he put it, 'damage control.' Rhys Brown, too, had also been quick to refuse the idea of coming out of retirement, (but was no where near polite about it.) Furiously, Draco found himself taking over the investigation while still having to conduct his own duties as well as take on the headache of going through the few people who dared to submit applications…none of which came close to Draco's idea of what was needed to attempt to rebuild the ragtag Law Enforcement Ministry.

"Ah yes, Minister Malfoy," the doctor said, nodding respectfully. "You are here to interview Miss Thurspire before her release, I believe?"

"Peasegood here is going to interview her, actually. I'm merely observing," Draco said evenly. That much, at least, Arnie was more than willing to do, not quite trusting the girl's reaction to Draco.

"We just got done speaking with her about it, and she seems comfortable with the idea. Her guardian, Mrs. Black wishes to be in the room…"

"Fine, I don't care. Black sometimes works for me," Draco said, waving it off. Nodding again, the doctor led them down the hallway.

A gentle knock later, Draco and Arnie found themselves looking at a young but vibrant girl, who gazed at them with an expression both anxious and challenging at the same time from where she sat on a made bed. Anna, who had been sitting in a chair opposite her, got up when they came in, stepping out of the way so that Arnie could go over to Lindsay.

"Hallo, Lindsay," Arnie said with a warm smile, sitting down. "Do you remember me?"

"You worked with my Daddy," Lindsay said, pulling a toy witch doll to her from the bed.

"That's right, we were friends," Arnie said. "Do you know why I'm here?" Lindsay glanced at Anna then nodded. "Do you remember then what hurt your house?"

"The dragon," she said. "It was angry at my Daddy."

"Do you know why?" Arnie asked quietly. Lindsay shook her head.

"He said he had to go away. He said we weren't safe, and he had to find something out," Lindsay said, rubbing her eyes a moment but refusing to cry.

"I understand. He wanted to protect you. Is that why he sent you out of the house?" Arnie asked. Lindsay nodded slightly. "Why did you go on the roof, then?"

"I felt safe there. It's my thinking spot," Lindsay said.

"Never mind that, ask her what he was trying to find out," Draco snapped and pointed at her. Anna and Arnie both glared at him.

"I don't know. He said he had to go to Hogsmeade. To see the alchemist. But he never got to," Lindsay said.

"Corey?" Anna said in surprise, looking up to see that Draco and Arnie both had the same baffled expression on their faces.

"Did he say why?" Arnie asked. Lindsay shook her head. "Did he go see the alchemist?" Lindsay shook her head again.

"The dragon came," Lindsay said. "I don't want to talk anymore."

"It's all right," Arnie said, squeezing her hand gently before standing up again and going over to Draco, who stepped out of the room with a look of pure irritation on his face. Anna said something quietly to her before joining them as well. "We shouldn't push our luck. I think she's telling us what she can."

"Not much, apparently," Draco said with frustration.

"Draco, not only is she just five years old, but she has been through a major trauma," Anna said in annoyance. "She needs time and space. You're going to have to try other sources."

"Perhaps we can get Jennifer in here to talk to her," Draco mused.

"Not right now, Draco," Anna said firmly. "She's going home with me today and she's going to need time to get used to her surroundings and rebuild some sort of sense of security before you find other ways of grilling her."

"Anna, like it or not, she's the only true witness we've got," Draco said firmly.

"Not quite," said a voice from behind them. The three of them looked up to see Severus Snape standing there casually.

"Must you come up on people like that?" Draco snapped. "What do you mean, not quite?"

"Simply that I believe I know more about the situation than you do," Severus said evenly. "Ederick Thurspire happens to have sent me some of his case research before he died, and I've been working on following up on it."

"Why didn't you send it on to the Ministry?" Draco barked, immediately getting shushed by several nurses in the hall.

"Perhaps because you haven't appointed a new Law Enforcement Minister to report it to," Severus said calmly.

"Then you should have reported it to me!" he said.

"I am now doing so," Severus pointed out unconcernedly. Draco glared at him. "And as I said before, I haven't finished discerning the important of the exact contents of this file, which proved to be quite esoteric. I was intending to give you the full analysis, but if you would rather attempt to figure this mess out on your own…be my guest."

"Fine, just tell me what you've found out," Draco said impatiently.

"I'm not completely certain as yet, That depends on some information I was hoping to get from you…particulars of magical activities in certain towns, and also some more information on the items lost…was there anything missing from the vault that might have been some sort of magic astrological equipment?" Severus asked.

"Astrological equipment?" Arnie repeated curiously, then shook his head. "No, everything that disappeared was burnables…nothing unexpected missing…"

"If you have a book list, I would like to see that," Severus said. "I also would like permission to head to the Western Isle; it's one of several locations I need to look into this weekend."

"The Fomorians are no longer there, Severus. The Ministry is watching the island at the moment…"

"Yes, Draco, I'm aware of that, which is one of the reasons I may need to go there, along with several other locations…provided I can have access to those records I need."

"Fine! Peasegood, when we get to the Ministry, let everyone know that as far as I'm concerned, Snape has full clearance to anything Thurspire had," Draco said, turning back to Severus. "But you had better have something to tell me after you get back, Snape, or I swear I'll throw you in the Tower for withholding information!" he threatened before finally turning and striding down the hall. Peasegood flashed Severus and Anna a smile before hurrying to catch up, the amused grin still on his face when he finally reached the Minister's side.

"I'm surprised you didn't try offering him the job while you were at it," Peasegood said, only partially joking.

"If I could have, I would have," Draco snapped without missing a stride.

When they were out of range, Severus turned back to his sister, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

"And how are things here with you?" he asked. "I hope you've been taking my advice."

"Not that it has helped, but I have," Anna admitted curtly. "Granted, I've been spending the days with Lindsay, but every evening I've talked at him until my voice cracks only have him to completely ignore me, staring at the window, most of the times with his back turned, or even worse turning into dog form, much to the staff's dismay. Severus, I don't think it's working. He's not listening."

"Perhaps not, but he's at least hearing it," Severus said. "It'll pay off in the end, Anna."

"In the end of what?" Anna said. "None of this seems to end. I've done nothing but sleep and come here every waking moment since this whole thing began. I don't know how long I can do it anymore." Severus looked thoughtful.

"You are getting Lindsay settled tonight? Who will be watching her when you come visit Sirius?"

"I will probably be bringing her, although Ginny has offered to watch her on her days off," Anna sighed, glancing in to see Lindsay trying to get her doll's toy wand to work.

"Perhaps you could see if she's available one day this weekend so you can accompany me on my little tour," Severus mused. "I could use an extra wand, especially since these are wild magic sights more than likely."

"Jennifer's not going?" Anna frowned.

"Things are not all well at the school at the moment, Anna. I would feel better knowing she is there if anything happens in my absence," Severus said. "I hardly plan to force your arm; I simply thought you might like an excuse to get away for a day."

"Is it important?" Anna asked in a low voice.

"The safety of us all may depend on it," Severus admitted reluctantly, knowing it would entice her, despite being the truth.

"All right, count me in then," Anna immediately decided. "I'd better go…wait, where's Lindsay?" Anna said with surprise, staring in her empty room. But Severus merely gestured down the hall. Glancing at him in annoyance for not mentioning it, Anna hurried towards Sirius' room to find her sitting across the table from him, talking up a storm.

"Why don't you ever talk much when people come to visit you?" Lindsay asked. "People are always trying to get me to talk. They think it'll help. But I don't like to talk about what they want to talk about. Why are you here, Uncle Sirius? You look all right to me. Did you lose your Mummy and Daddy too?" Severus quickly kept Anna from entering then as a strange expression crossed Sirius' face and he seemed to notice the child for the first time.

"Too?" Sirius frowned, focusing in on the girl. "What happened to your Mummy and Daddy?"

"The dragon did it," Lindsay said, hugging her doll.

"Ciardoth?" Sirius asked quietly. Lindsay nodded.

"Aunt Anna wants me to come stay at your house. Is that all right?" Lindsay asked uncomfortably. Sirius nodded thoughtfully at that, vaguely remembering then that Anna had mentioned something about it before. But a moment later he was rather surprised to find a child in his lap, clinging to him as if afraid to let go for a moment before staring at his scruffy face so intensely that all the sudden he wanted to shave. "Do you like chips?" Blinking at her in bewilderment, Sirius nodded to her unsurely. "I suppose it'll be okay then," she decided with a sigh, leaning into him again.

Severus was quite tired when he got back, but kept the meeting with his family as concise as possible. Before the end of the evening, Jennifer was made fully aware of the dream, and then all of them listened wide-eyed as they heard at least part of what he had learned.

"Apparently, the dragon made of stars was a direct reference to Draco, which with Professor Sinistra's help was able to find out that those stars correlate to an actual location, possibly somewhere near here," Severus said.

"Does this have to do something with those places you mentioned?" Alex asked, Aurelius jabbing her hard.

"Yes, however I need to further research those to find out if they have further significance next weekend," Severus said. "Your mother will be staying here to help watch things at the school."

"You mean to baby sit us," Aurelius said dryly.

"Besides other things, perhaps," Severus said wryly. "If you want to be treated better, perhaps you should stop abusing the rules. You can start proving it by not stepping foot out of the castle or anywhere in the castle that you know you shouldn't be, including under it. Any questions?"

"No, Sir," they answered one by one.

"Good, then we're done. Don't forget to practice your mental exercises every night…and Alicia, don't forget your report," he warned her. Not bothering to answer, Alicia followed the others out.

"So what all didn't you tell them?" Jennifer asked after the door shut.

Friday was never an easy working day for the Minister of Magic, for it meant to him the end of another week of working with idiots. Draco stared in disbelief at the application in his hand and crumpled it up into a ball and threw it into the fireplace, the ball immediately burst into flame. He glared at the pile of work on his desk, neglected as he attempted to juggle his own job and the daunting Enforcement. Suddenly thinking of someone he hadn't solicited for the job yet, Draco scribbled out a quick note and strode out of the office, tossing it in one of the message chutes himself. He waited for a long time, staring when it didn't come back right away. Frustrated, Draco strode down the hall and into the Enforcement Ministry. He paused to stare in the lounge, wondering why it was empty. Usually there were at least a couple of Enforcers or a bored Auror hanging out there, even in the evening, but no one was there. In fact, the entire area seemed quite deserted. Alarmed, Draco went to the main office and barged in only to find someone he didn't know snoring at the desk.

"Who in the hell are you?" Draco barked and the Enforcer leapt up with the speed of a startled cat, still shaking as he got to his feet.

"Enforcer Blair, sir. Sorry sir, must have dozed off…"

"Obviously! Where's Ricks? Isn't it his shift? Where's Grangely? Where's DeMille?" Draco barked.

"You fired DeMille, sir," Blair pointed out quietly.

"Never mind him! Where are the others?" Draco said angrily.

"Actually, most of them are at the Craw farmhouse, sir," Blair admitted. "The Aurors especially."

"What? Who did he kill this time?" Draco asked with alarm.

"No, no, sir, it's not that! They went to sit with him because Mrs. Craw is having her baby," Blair said. "I drew the short straw," he added glumly.

"I don't believe this. I just don't believe this," Draco said, shaking his head. "I am left here with no support at all if any calls come in and no Minister to call on, and the only one here besides me is a Blair! Meanwhile, the entire Enforcement and probably every owner in the area are fawning over the fact that a convicted serial killer is daring to bring another Craw in this world, one that they will probably be forced to apprehend later in his life!" he ranted as Blair attempted to hide his amusement. "I don't get it. I don't get it. Even before he was put into jail he's had every Auror in the damn country throwing their support in for him!"

"Is it all that surprising, sir? I mean, he did what he did because his wife died and he felt like the government failed him…"

"He took matters into his own hands and became his own judge and executioner!"

"Not saying it was right, sir, but Fudge and the Ministry didn't really make him feel like he had a choice, did they? They weren't willing to stand up to Voldemort," Blair said. "Craw dared to do that and more, despite knowing what would happen to him because of it. That's something any Auror would understand."

"And so because they've turned him into some sort of misguided war hero, they view him with more respect and trust than they've ever given any of us?" Draco said.

"Hard to trust any organization that lies as much as the Ministry does, Minister, no offense meant to you. But even with all the positive changes to the government that you've made, it still has a tarnished image after years of corruption. Craw might not be the friendliest man in the world, and he definitely has a mouth to be reckoned with; but not a word has come out of it that he didn't strongly believe in, and I think that, along with his actions, has a lot to do with it." Draco stared at him a long time until he suddenly went to the back wall where all the law books were kept, flipping through several and chucking them on the desk before finding the one he wanted and reading it carefully. Finally he tossed it on the table as well.

"Here, do something useful and put those away, and don't you dare fall asleep again until I can get someone real in here," Draco ordered as he strode towards the door.

"Going somewhere, sir?" Blair asked curiously when a slicker suddenly appeared folded over the Minister's arm.

"Yes. To find a damn Minister," Draco said, slamming the door behind himself.

Thomas Craw was having the night of his life…despite the fact that his night had just begun. The young Craw wasn't in his mother's arms very long before Thomas descended, planting kisses on his tired wife distractingly while stealthily working the baby into his arms. But Fleur didn't mind…she was too elated and too proud, and never had she seen such light in Thomas' face before.

"Finally," Thomas murmured in partial disbelief as he looked at his son. But the disbelief melted away when he saw the small tuft of reddish hair on the baby's head, looking very much in some ways like Jennifer had when she was born, until he opened his very pale eyes, holding on almost disinterestedly to his father's finger. "His eyes are very light."

"Mine were like that, as was Gabrielle. He may end up with violet eyes," Fleur said quietly.

"Now that'll be a new color in the Craw gene pool," Thomas admitted with an uncharacteristically foolish grin. "Magnificent job, Doctor Weathering!"

"Your wife did most the work, Mr. Craw," the wizened old doctor smiled thinly at him.

"Mind if I take him out a moment?" Thomas said.

"Yes but only for a moment," the fussy doctor protested. "That'll allow me to have a few words with Fleur about some things, being a first time mother and all."

"Yes, well, just be a gentleman," Thomas grunted at him, while the doctor raised his eyebrows at him. Fleur couldn't help but look rather amused as Thomas slipped out the door and down the stairs to where a large crowd seemed to be having a full-blown party. "Broke out the champagne early, did you?" Thomas said, shaking his head at the rowdy bunch. But immediately they stopped what they were doing, and if it hadn't been for Thatcher and Harry jumping in, Thomas would have quickly been crowded upon. "Everyone, meet my son and next heir to the Craw legacy…Maurice Thompson Craw," he announced, everyone who couldn't get immediately to him deciding to grab a drink out of 'respects' instead.

"That a French name?" Tonks asked.

"It's a Craw name," Thomas said proudly, "but I admit Fleur wanting a name we could both easily pronounce had something to do with it." A few people chuckled at that.

"He definitely looks like you," Harry grinned.

"So he does, except his eye color."

"So how does it feel, then, knowing you're not the last male Craw anymore?" Thatcher smiled at him.

"Like some sort of justice has finally been served for me," Thomas said, and many of the Aurors and Enforcers there grinned in understanding or even nodded outright and began to chat again as Thomas walked into the room. He looked around and was unsurprised to see his daughter near the kitchen door with her arms folded, watching him come forward with a strange expression on her face. "I thought you'd be lurking over here. The House Elves can take care of that, you know."

"I like to keep busy," Jennifer said uncomfortably.

"Your mother was the same way," Thomas said in a low but sincere voice. "Here then, hold your brother a moment."

"It's all right, Dad, I'm sure there are many others who'd prefer to…"

"I wouldn't let anyone else take him from my arms tonight, let me assure you," Thomas said firmly. "After all, it is him now who is the last Craw. If anything happens to Fleur and I, his welfare would be up to you." Jennifer gazed at his serious expression for a long time before she sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly before she unwrapped her arms and gently took him.

"As if anything would happen to you. You've already proven time and again you're much too cantankerous to die," Jennifer said.

"That may be," Thomas said, the strange grin coming to his face again. "Then again, no man lives forever…if one did, I doubt children would mean so much, no matter how moody and overly sensitive they have become," he said, patting her back and ignoring the dirty look on her face.

"Maurice, you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into joining this family," Jennifer confided in him.

"Good sense if you ask me," Thomas grunted. "At least we're not an insufferably boring family like some others I can name."

"Thomas?" Thatcher Boltin somehow managed to work his way around the edge of the room to them, nodding politely to Jennifer. "Minister Malfoy is here, along with Magistrate Muse. They say they'd like to see you alone for a moment."

"That intimidated by another Craw coming into the world, are they?" Thomas said evenly. "Oh, come now, Jen-girl, don't look at me like that!"

"What have you done this time, Dad?" Jennifer frowned.

"Now, do you really think I'd push my luck this close to my son's birth?" Thomas said. "Keep an eye on him. And don't you dare hand him off to anyone but his mother."

Jennifer frowned slightly as she watched him disappear into the library with Thatcher at his side while several others who hadn't gotten to see him yet began wandering over in her direction. Tonks and one of her friends came over next, cooing over him and otherwise getting the sleepy baby's attention.

"Can I hold him?" Tonks pleaded, but Jennifer immediately pulled him away, glaring protectively. "Guess not," she chuckled as Jennifer took the baby back to Fleur's room.

Jennifer nodded crisply at the doctor who had just helped Fleur get settled back in bed, and Weathering in turn nodded stiffly back, both remembering the rather unpleasant time when the two first crossed paths when Jennifer was pregnant. But Fleur obviously didn't seem to mind the cranky old family doctor at all. In fact, she looked quite well and happy, just like the baby that Jennifer placed back in her arms.

"I am so glad you are here, Jennifer! Gabrielle is coming by train to see me as well and to stay for a week or two. You must bring your family by to meet her, as well as little Maurice!" she said enthusiastically. "I love company, but no one ever comes by!"

"I'll see if I can't arrange something," Jennifer said, suddenly feeling a bit guilty. The fact of the matter was she often found convenient excuses not to visit, rather than to show up and end up in another row with her father again. Still, it would be nice to see Maurice every now and again, realizing with mixed surprise and horror that he was already beginning to grow on her.

Suddenly the door popped open with extreme force as Thomas walked in with a strange determined look on his face.

"Jen-girl, get out. I need to talk to Fleur," he snapped.

"Why, Thomas!" Fleur said in surprise.

"No, no, not out of the house, just out of the room," he said impatiently, refusing to look Jennifer in the eye despite her obvious attempts at trying. Frowning deeply, Jennifer reluctantly left, hurrying to see if anything strange was happening downstairs. But nothing seemed to be at all out of place; most of those who had come had gathered into groups to exchange stories of their own exploits catching criminals while the liquor armoire in the front room became emptier by the moment.

"Aurors," Jennifer muttered irritably to herself. "If anyone attacked the house at the moment, they'd have two dozen drunk guardians to contend with…assuming they could even hold their wands."

"Don't worry, Jennifer," Harry said, coming up from behind and putting an arm around her. "We're not all out of our heads. Where's Severus at, anyway? Getting ready for the trip?"

"Yes, I imagine he'll be by sometime later this weekend," Jennifer said.

"Well, he hasn't really talked to me at all lately about what he's onto, but I hope it goes well. Especially if it has something to do with stopping all of this rain," Harry added. Jennifer nodded and began to tell him something when she noticed Thomas behind them, showing Muse and Draco to the door. A moment later he stood in the archway beside them and raised his hands, slowly gaining their attention.

"It seems I have a bit more news for you this evening," Thomas said.

"What? Did you have twins?" Grangely joked, several laughing at that.

"Stranger news than that, but mostly good, depending on how you see it," Thomas said vaguely. Harry didn't miss the fact that Jennifer's eyes had widened or how shaky she suddenly looked on her feet, making him all the more curious. "The Minister of Magic, with support of the Magistrates, have decided to claim, on the Ministry's behalf, partial responsibility in Alice's death, for not acting against certain Death Eaters beforehand, and thus stopping the attack," he said, everyone listening silently. "The Ministry has also issued me a formal apology that states officially that my acts of that of a man 'faced with no other choices due to the level of corruption present within the Ministry at the time of my actions.' Now, I realize, these are just words to most of you…political gibberish not meant to change anyone's true opinion of my actions, whether you believe me guilty or not. I have always accepted that guilt and more and its consequences, and apparently in so doing, seem to have rather struck a cord with some…"

"With many more than you might believe, Thomas," Thatcher assured him.

"Nevertheless, words though they may be…perhaps you can understand that I do not want my son growing up without understanding the reasons behind what I did, wrong though they were, nor do I want him or the Craws that follow to look back and think of me as a criminal. As it so happens, these words shall clear me, perhaps not in any sort of spiritual terms but in legal terms, although it comes with a price I will take on readily, if that is your will. Of course, I also would be willing to walk away from it as well if you cared not to deal with me…I am hardly going to die a pauper…"

"Thomas…wait...you've lost me…" Tonks said. Instead of getting the normal jibes she got whenever she was lost, the Aurors and Enforcers looked at her intently. "Walk away from what? What do you mean deal with you?"

"Simply that the Minister has asked me to be the next Minister of Law Enforcement," Thomas said. "I suppose that means the Ministry is officially going to Hell, eh?" he mused. But the room had erupted in immediate excited enthusiasm having less to do with the wine and more to do with honest exuberance as the Enforcers came over to shake his hand and the Aurors began to hug each other. But after Harry and Thatcher took their turns congratulating him, they couldn't help but notice Jennifer sitting alone with a stunned expression, still shaking her head in disbelief.


	30. To Be a Parent

Chapter Thirty

To Be a Parent 

  Anna met up with Severus in the Ministry the next day as he made copies of maps of several of the towns he didn't know so well.

  "There are definitely old magic signatures at these sites, Anna…pockets of dense Ancient and Wild magic that seem to have no true source or purpose other than being there…those kinds of places are always mapped in case some strange occurrence happens to a Muggle from traveling too close to them."

  "Sounds a bit like magnetic fields," Anna said, watching as he neatly filed each one in a specific order.  "There are strange high and low magnetism places on the earth.  I wonder if they correspond?"

  "Yes, well, write your own paper on it, I hardly have the time," Severus said, getting an annoyed look from his sister for the answer.  "I need to check out one other thing before we go."

  Severus was not surprised to find the Law Enforcement Ministry bustling with activity, but Anna was, wondering why it was so busy on a weekend…not that it hadn't always bugged her at how few there usually were; it was almost as if the Ministry didn't believe crimes were committed on Saturdays and Sundays.  But today, that was not the case, as they seemed to be cleaning and rearranging and even clearing out offices.

  "Oh!  Mrs. Black," Anna stared when she saw it was DeMille heading towards her.  "I'm glad to see you here.  I've gathered up Ederick Thurspire's personal effects and have arranged to have them sent to Lindsay's trust vault…here's a list of what's there in case you need to go through them," he said, taking a list out of a folder and handing it to her.

  "Thank you," Anna said, but was still staring at him when she took the paper.  "I thought you were fired."

  "Oh, yes, I was, but the new Minister hired me back as an undersecretary," DeMille explained.

  "Do you happen to know if Sal Ricks left me a scroll or folder or something?" Severus asked.

  "Yes indeed, Professor, I'll get that right away," DeMille said solemnly, nodding to them before heading towards the back.

  "There's a new Law Enforcement Minister?" Anna said the moment he was out of range.

  "So I've been given to understand.  It was decided upon last evening, I believe, and someone I can say without bias that I heartily approve of," Severus said.

  "Harry?" Anna asked in a low voice.

  "No, Draco would have none of that."

  "That's what I thought," Anna said.  "But I can't think of anyone else who would be even remotely capable of the job and still put up with someone as bullheaded as Draco can be."

  "Oh, I guarantee you the new minister is even more bullheaded than Draco," Severus assured her.

  "Not Jennifer, right?" Anna asked cautiously.  Severus looked slightly amused by the idea.

  "She would neither be inclined nor interested in such a position.  But close," he admitted, but then became distracted when he saw DeMille approaching.

  "Okay, Severus, I give up, who is it?" Anna asked with a sigh.

  "Here it is, sir," DeMille said, handing him a folder.

  "Grant, who is the new Minister?" Anna said impatiently.

  "And when does he begin?" Severus inquired.

  "It's the ex-Warden of Azkaban," DeMille told Anna with amusement then turned to Severus.  "I believe he's coming in on Monday."  Anna stared at DeMille.  Then she stared at Severus.  "Do you need anything else, sir?"

  "Just this, thank you," Severus said.

  "Severus, are you telling me that your father-in-law is the new LE Minister?" Anna said.

  "I believe DeMille was the one who just told you," Severus said evenly.

  "But he's a murderer!"

  "Actually, if you read the morning paper, you would have seen he was officially pardoned for his actions," Severus said in a low voice.  "No mention of the job yet, of course.  I believe they're planning to give it a couple of days before they announce that part of it.  Anna, I know you've always had reservations about him, and are one of the many that shake their heads every time they see how loyal the Aurors are to him.  But the fact of the matter is that they are loyal to him, and he has earned the respect of the Enforcers as well, which is something that Thurspire was never able to accomplish.  Furthermore, his work at Azkaban was nothing short of exemplary, and his contempt for the current system in many ways matches Draco's own, meaning he will be completely open to change.  And I think, also, that his current family life and devotion to his newborn son will improve his sensibilities, despite my wife's skepticism on the issue," he said turning to the folder.

  Anna didn't comment, although it was rather obvious from her expression that she still wasn't thrilled with the idea.  But Severus' attention became more fully absorbed in the list he was reading until suddenly he stopped, staring at an entry before he looked up thoughtfully at Anna.

  "What is it?"

  "The answer, perhaps," Severus said.  "'Portals of the Ancient World; the Closed Door to Faerie History…circa 1550, handwritten, hidebound,' he said, glancing down the list of books destroyed but quickly coming back up to it.  "No, I'm quite sure that is it.  I'm quite sure that is what I've found."

  "What?"

  "That the sites Ederick had listed were actually some of many portals to the Otherworld," Severus said, musing then over the maps he had copied.  "And that I think in turn explains the strange concentrations of ancient and wild magic in the area.  I am certain that each site will lie somewhere between the two concentrations in each case…"

  "Wait a minute, Severus.  I thought there was only the one portal.  Stonehenge," Anna said.

  "I believe it probably is, now, at least in this part of the world…I recall it being mentioned that the one at Western Isle was permanently closed and moved there… I have doubts it was the only one.  If I'm not mistaken, all the ones in all the British Islands were pulled into it…consider its shape and its construction…the monoliths forming what looks to be gateways in a circle.  My guess is when it was first constructed that while the central gate was to Tir Na Nog, those around the circle may have tied to lesser worlds or different locations, and somehow could be manipulated rather like a switchboard with each arch tuned to a different place, or a different universe.  And then, to safe keep them, Merlin brought Callum's Seal which once protected the gate on the Western Isle and used it to ward the entire system."

  "Has she made any attempt at all to try and steal them?"

  "The only time she has made a direct attack on the castle this year was the day she killed Fawkes, otherwise she haunts dreams," Severus said, leaning back in his seat with a dark look on his face.  "So in that, I truly have no idea."

  "At least we don't have to worry about the Tome with Merlin's spells in them, since you destroyed that," Anna sighed.  But suddenly Severus looked startled, sitting straight up.

  "Corey," Severus murmured, getting up.  "We need to see Corey right away.  Come on."

  "Why do we have to see Corey?  Does this have something to do with why Ederick had been planning to see him?" Anna asked.  Severus froze in the hallway, staring at her.

  "Where did you hear that?"

  "Lindsay," Anna said.  "She said something about her father wanting to go see Corey the night of the fire when Arnie was questioning her.  I just thought about it when you mentioned it.  What's wrong?"

  "A sudden realization that perhaps Draco was right about Ederick all along," Severus said, continuing down the hall.  "It is true he was brash; jumped to conclusions, capable of offending the most tolerant of people.  But the more I follow in his steps, the more I realize how much I had underestimated him, and that is a very painful admission."  Anna couldn't help but smile slightly at him as she followed him out to the entryway, Apparating behind him.

  The apothecary was bustling as it always was on the weekend.  Ever since the death of Lucius Malfoy, Corey had been slowly reintroducing his open bins and barrels back out onto the sales floor…the enthusiasm of his customers encouraging him to do more.  Now as he glanced around it looked like the alchemy shop he had always wanted.  He was able to begin saving up to buy the building outright so he could add a small wand repair and custom room, especially now that Rose's greenhouse was now providing a greater supply of the fresh herbs they sold, allowing more profits to come in. 

  He had been standing to one side of the counter with a pestle in hand, listening to Eliza chatter and getting tongue-tied about all the questions she was asking him about   He brightened when he saw Severus and Anna, for they provided the perfect polite excuse to get away.  But as he came over, he didn't miss the serious expression on Severus' face.

  "What's up?  Run out of something important, Dad?" Corey asked.

  "Time," Severus said.  "I need to speak with you about a dream you may have had."  Corey frowned at him.  "Any unusual nightmares lately?"

  "You're going to make me look, aren't you," Corey said flatly.

  "It would be advisable, yes," Severus agreed.  "I need not tell you what's been going on lately."

  "Yes, although I'm not sure what it has to do with me," Corey said, but sighed.  "Come on, we might as well talk about this downstairs." 

  Anna had never been down in the basement, although she knew at one time he had kept some of his cold supplies there before his upstairs walk-in was finished.  She had been expecting a fairly bare area, perhaps with storage boxes for the shop stacked high along the walls.

  She certainly wasn't expecting to see a wall-to-wall cubby-style shelving unit that stretched the length of the building…and more than half of them were filled with Pensieves.  Seeing her amazed expression, Corey raised the light level a bit.

  "This is where I keep all my trivial memories," Corey explained to her.  "Dreams and Nightmares, especially, other bits, knowledge and the like that is absolutely useless to me.  For example, I have a whole section of Pensieves dedicated to people handing me lists to read," he chuckled.

  "How many thoughts can a Pensieve hold?" Anna asked curiously.

  "Depends on the size of the memory, actually.  A few hundred short ones…the long ones eats up memory capacity.  Anyhow, what exactly are we looking for?" Corey asked.

  "Anything that involves the Tome of Merlin and Stonehenge," Severus said.  Corey looked thoughtful.  "Have you dreamed of either?"

  "Yes, at some point," Corey said, looking thoughtful a moment before walking down the aisle, a stool appearing in front of one column of Pensieves for him to stand on.  "Let's look it up under Stonehenge.  I don't suppose you have any sort of date?"

  "Spring to late summer of last year.  Perhaps after," Severus said.  Corey sighed at that, pulling a Pensieve from one of the shelves.

  "Let's start with this one then," Corey said.

  "Why do I feel like we're looking at a needle in a haystack?" Anna said.  "Corey, wouldn't you know if Ciardoth was in one of your dreams?"

  "Well, Dad only warned me about the possibility in September, so after that point I've been on the lookout for her," Corey said.

  "Perhaps we should limit the search from the House Burning to the beginning of school then," Severus said.  Corey nodded and put the Pensieve down, pulling out one more.

  "It'll be in one of these two if anything's there," Corey said, waving his hand over the bowl.

  As memories began to cross the surface of the Pensieve in tiny glimpses, Anna was compelled to look away, uncomfortable of the fact that she was looking at someone else's private thoughts.  Severus, on the other hand, gazed at each one with a critical eye, unaffected by its contents.

  "Stop," Severus said suddenly, and Corey, who had only been paying half attention himself grew more alert.  "Go back a few."  Growing interested now, Corey complied, and went back to what for him looked like one of his most typical nightmares.

  For once again he was Athos on a rescue mission, and his loyal friends were shouting at him as a giant dragon, Ciardoth, began to snap at him, while in her claw dangled Aurelius from one foot.  In the dream he had been completely paralyzed to do anything as he witnessed once more the tremendous teeth and the frightening view of the inside of the dragon's mouth as it came in slow motion and braced himself for he knew it was about to tear into his flesh.  Strangely, it was as if he had fallen through the dragon's jaw for he found himself under it, despite the fact that his friends' horrified cries from that day rang in his ears.  But the dragon was on the run; she had not yet let go of Aurelius, despite the fact that something told him she should have.  Ignoring the shouts of his fellow Musketeers, Athos pushed his broom into high speed to follow her…faster than the night he had rescued Rose…faster than he knew his broom should be able to go…until finally he found himself hovering over Stonehenge, watching as she dropped him. 

  In deep fear for Aurelius, certain he was injured, Athos pressed into a hard dive, nearly toppling forward when he reached the ground and dashed around the monoliths.  Strange echoes were around him that Athos didn't understand, but his search for his brother was too intense to pay much attention, calling out his name frantically.

  "He cannot hear you," Ciardoth's dragonish voice said from all around him.  "He's beyond your reach now."

  "Where is he?" Athos barked angrily.

  "I sent him to the Otherworld.  It was a part of the deal," she explained, her voice becoming more feminine.  "His services helping me destroy the world for his own safety.  Of course, I doubt he'll live long, even there, after that fall," she said with amusement.  "I'm afraid you'll just have to go back and tell your adopted parents the news."

  "Do you really think I'd let you do something like that?"

  "You cannot stop me!" she said amusement.  "If you try, you shall only cause the world's destruction yourself!  Let him go.  After everything he's done to you, he deserves to die anyway, doesn't he?"

  "No one deserves to die!" Athos snapped, turning and facing the center ring raising his hands.

  Helpless to do anything but watch as the memory of the nightmare played out before him, Corey stared horrified as he saw himself open the gate, a bright blinding light issuing beyond as Ciardoth's terrible laughter began to ring out within, echoing louder and louder until finally the image abruptly changed to the image of Corey's bedroom ceiling and faded into nothingness.

  "What have I done," Corey murmured, his voice trembling as he shook his head in disbelief.  "What did I do?"

  "You had no way of knowing, Corey," Severus said, putting a hand on his shoulder.  "None at all."

  "But because I did that, this means she knows how someone can bypass the seal and open the gate, doesn't she?  She can actually drain magic out…"

  "She's hardly interested in that, Corey, merely interested in destroying us all," Severus said.

  "Gee thanks, Dad, that makes me feel much better," Corey said sarcastically, Severus patting his shoulder gently before turning to Anna.

  "We need to know if she was able to glean on how to open the other portals during the encounter.  Let's go to the closest point on the map and look there," Severus suggested.

  "Well, the closest would be Anglesey, but that's not a town, it's an island," Anna said.

  "That's quite all right.  I have a feeling I know where that one is," Severus said evenly.

  Once they arrived, Anna realized that she knew the place as well, for they were at a Lake…a Lake she didn't feel comfortable being at without an invitation.

  "It wouldn't be directly here, of course, but it wouldn't be far," Severus said in a low voice as if he too did not like the idea of stirring up anything near those waters.  "I imagine your aunt used it often enough in her day.  It would also be well away from the entrance."

  "What about that cliff over there?" Anna said curiously.

  "Possibly," Severus agreed.  "Let's go have a look." 

  The gentle breeze surrounding the Lake began to grow into a strong wind as they walked up the incline and Severus took a moment to consult his notes.  The wind did not worry either of them; after all, they were fairly close to the sea.   But as they reached the top they felt a strange electric tingle through them, strong enough to make them stop and look each other.  It was then that Severus realized that his sister was glowing again.  Severus squinted at her.

  "We're definitely close," Anna said, her voice sounding strange as she approached the top. 

  "Yes, but things aren't quite right either.  I don't like this," Severus said, taking something out of his cloak pocket.  "You had best come back over here until I've done a few tests."

  "I can't exactly help it," Anna said, looking out over the Lake.  "It's like something here is calling out to me that I can't quite control."

  "Well, get a handle on it!" Severus snapped.  "Come away from the edge."

  "There were sacrifices made here once," Anna said strangely.  "Blood sacrifices."

  "Nonsense.  There's no way your aunt would put up with that sort of rubbish," Severus said, glancing at the meter.  "There does seem to be an active rift of some sort here…Anna, come away from that ledge!"

  "I'm hardly going to jump," Anna said with growing irritation.

  "I'm hardly worried about that, but things are not right…" Severus said.  It was then when a clap of loud thunder sounded despite the fact that the sky was clear.  "Anna!  Get back!" he barked, but by the time she turned around, Ciardoth was between them, an amused expression playing upon her pale face.

  "So you are curious to see what's beyond, dear cousin?  Care to see what's on the other side?" Ciardoth said mockingly.  "Then allow me to assist you," she said, raising her hands.  Anna too, raised her hands, growing brighter as she did so, but the blow from Ciardoth's power had hit her before she could completely protect herself, knocking her back off the cliff while Severus cried out in horror, scrambling for the edge.

  Although Anna was nowhere in sight, Severus did not miss the sight of a faint shimmer in mid-air, running across the surface of a rather large, slanted portal just below the face of the cliff.

  "Anna!" Severus shouted out, realizing the futility of it immediately after doing so, while Ciardoth's laughter rang in his ears.

  "Well go on!  Go after her!  You know you want to.  Run along!  It'll save me the trouble of killing you later," she taunted him.

  "STOP!" said a powerful voice from behind them, and both Ciardoth and Severus both turned to stare wide-eyed with surprise at the figure standing there; for there could be no mistaking it was none other than Merlin himself.  "You have gone too far this time, Ciara!  You have done something now that I cannot ignore!"

  "My name is CIARDOTH!" she said furiously.  "And you no longer hold any power over me!  Not here, and not now!"

 "What you do to the rest of this world is your own business," Merlin said evenly.  "But what you do to Anna is…well, her business, actually…" Merlin admitted as the water in the lake shot up like a geyser.  Unmistakable fear and fury shone in Ciardoth's eyes as the water itself seemed to pass through the portal, disappearing for a moment until suddenly shooting up through it, tossing Anna out the other end.  Quickly Severus reacted…perhaps too quickly in fact, he realized, after he leapt to her aid with his wand in hand, planning on bringing her out of danger.  Somehow in the confusion he had walked too close to the edge of the cliff…but instead of falling found himself standing on a sheet of crystal.  Cautiously he ran over to where Anna seemed to be laying upon it unconscious, feeling as helpless as he had so many times when she had gotten into trouble when they were children.

  "I shall kill them both now!" Ciardoth bowed gleefully, turning her attention to the crystal underneath them.

  "No, no…now you're interfering in _my_ business," Merlin said, pulling up his sleeves.

  "And yet I myself am not your business?" Ciardoth said angrily, lightning sparking in the air around her but fading before it actually reached where anyone was standing.

  "I'm afraid you ruined any chance of that centuries ago, Ciara," Merlin said quietly.

  "Then I will destroy you!" she said furiously, walking up to him.  "I will destroy you both for what you have done to me!  I will destroy everything you've ever attempted to save and you will be powerless against me!"

  "Perhaps you shall," Merlin said calmly.  "But not, I think, today."

  "Ciara!" said another powerful voice, and Severus couldn't help but stare at Viviane as she rose up upon a pedestal of water and stepped onto the crystal itself.  "I bade you not to return!"

  "There soon will be no reason to return!" Ciardoth swore.  "There will be nothing here to return to!"

  "And until that day, this sanctuary is mine!" Viviane said, her eyes looking almost red in her fury.  Her stature suddenly becoming even taller than Ciardoth, making Severus decide very quickly to pick his sister up and get her out of harm's way.  Even Merlin himself took a very healthy step backward just before several lightning bolts flashed over the other woman, so blindingly bright that even after Severus closed his eyes he could still see the light through his lids, a loud deafening roar following behind.  But the roar, Severus realized, was not thunder at all but the sound of blasting water, like standing at the base of a waterfall within an echoing cavern.

  In what seemed to take forever despite the fact it was mere minutes, Severus weakly looked up to see the backside of Merlin's robes, who had at some point taken a position in front of them, and Ciardoth nowhere in sight.  Viviane, on her end, looked little worse for the wear except for a bit of reddened skin on her face and slightly singed hair, while beside him, Anna had woken up and was propping herself up slightly, looking dazed.  It was at that point that Severus found himself feeling incredibly foolish, greatly disturbed that he hadn't faced her when he could have…and yet, somehow in their presence he had suddenly been transformed to a younger version of himself, helpless but to watch the events that had unfolded around him.

  "Now, now, boy, none of that," Merlin chided him gently as if he had heard his thoughts, helping him to his feet.  "You did well looking after your sister.  There, now, Viviane, she's awake already.  I think she's going to be quite all right."

  "How dare you make such presumptions!" Viviane said furiously, pushing him away from Anna.  "This is all of your fault!  They wouldn't even be in this position if it wasn't for you!"

  "I believe, my dear, that this started out your idea, considering…"

  "I am not talking about _that_!" Viviane boomed angrily at him, helping Anna to her feet whether she liked it or not.  "My descendent just got thrown out of her element!  That wasn't supposed to happen!"

  "Ah, no, of course not, but a very many things seem to be happening right now that…in your opinion, of course…are not supposed to happen.  Am I to be blamed for those as well?"

  "Absolutely!" Viviane said viciously.

  "Despite the fact that I have stayed out of the entire situation for the most part?"

  "Stayed out of it?" Viviane said.  "Do you think I'm I fool?  What about your Tinker Shop and all that Toby rubbish!"

  "I am merely doing that to pass that time," Merlin protested.

  "Pass the time?  Until what, our extinction?" Viviane said, and then glanced at the two figures staring at them.  "Know this.  If we are destroyed, I fully intend to hold you utterly responsible!" she said furiously.

  Merlin merely pursed his lips, more than likely controlling the urge to explain to her how impossible her statement was as she walked off the ledge and lowered herself under the surface of the Lake.

  "Well, I think that's enough excitement for one day," Merlin decided.  "Are you quite all right, Anna?"

  "I felt like I was passing through a large maze," Anna murmured.  "But it seemed like it lasted for hours and hours…"

  "The Labyrinth of Mona," Merlin nodded.  "A famous sight in the Otherworld.  You see, before the Romans came, this used to be a popular spot for shoving off animals and wives, and whomever else they didn't want to deal with to 'appease the gods,' as it were.  Viviane, of course, didn't want such things clogging up the Lake so used the portal to run interference for her.  Anyhow, there were so many people getting through that they built the maze to keep them in and turn them into a local attraction, being a rather bored folk as they were…that happens a lot when you're immortal.  They were terribly disappointed when I closed the portal, of course, but I made it up to them.  I taught them to play rugby…as you would have discovered had you traversed the maze and seen the field on the other side of it," he explained casually, watching as Anna and Severus squinted at him, attempting to digest that information.  "There now, I see you're all right.  Severus, Anna is going to be exhausted, you really ought to see her home now."

  "Why?"

  "Because she's tired, obviously…"

  "No, not that," Severus said irritably.  "Why did you move the portal in the first place?"

  "Well, Severus, I think that'd be rather obvious.  I did it to try to prevent what is occurring right now, of course," Merlin said.

  "And you did such a splendid job of it," Severus said sarcastically.

  "Don't mention it," Merlin said unbothered, taking something out of his pocket.  "By the way, you may find this of some use, if you don't think about it too hard," he said, handing him an egg timer.

  "And that was all he would say?" Jennifer said from where she sat in bed, hugging her knees as she waited for Severus to finish changing.  "He just handed you an egg timer and then excused himself, just like that?"

  "No, he did stay with us until I got her home and made sure we sent Ginny a note to keep Lindsay over," Severus said.  "And he said some sort of nonsense about if that didn't help, try an onion.  I don't know why I ever listen to that old goat."

  "Perhaps because that despite appearances, he's hardly as eccentric as he seems," Jennifer said.

  "Yes he is," Severus said, Jennifer chuckling in response.  "All I can think of with the silly egg timer is the fact that time as running out, but I didn't need him to tell me that.  Slowly the days are getting shorter, the winds grow cold, and if Sinistra's charts are not mistaken, Solstice shall be here within a few weeks…that, I think, is when she plans to make her move, and destroy us all," he said, flipping over the timer and silently watching the sand sift away.  "And so far I have failed to figure out how."

  The next day Severus was determined to come up with some sort of theory, meticulously going over every word that Thurspire ever wrote, desperately looking for something he might have missed.  In the classroom beside him, Aurelius had spent his Sunday cleaning the Defense room, and just before dinner knocked gently on the open door, leaning on it as he glanced at his Father, who was searching through his books again.

  "I'm done.  Want to see?" Aurelius asked, but immediately got waved at.

  "I know where to find you if it isn't right," Severus said distractedly, pulling out another book.  Aurelius watched him thoughtfully for a moment before finally leaving, putting a hand in his pocket on the way out.

  Sighing in resignation, Severus snapped the book shut and put it back, realizing he didn't have anything that would truly help him.  Filling Rasputin's kibble and ignoring his protest at the offering, Severus whisked out of the room, fully intent on getting to the library.  But suddenly he slowed, noticing that the Headmaster was walking down the Hall, pausing only briefly to have a word with Aurelius.  Severus winced and decided to take a different route, well aware that the Headmaster was bound to bring up the changes he had asked him to make on his paper, and Severus quickly decided he didn't want to deal with it.  Even after last week's breakfast with him, Dumbledore seemed maddeningly disinterested in the entire Ciardoth situation…despite the flooding…despite Fawkes…despite everything…and the fact that Dumbledore attempted to change the subject every chance he got onto such trivial matters about schoolwork that even Severus himself was beginning to suspect the old Headmaster was getting a bit senile.  Not that anyone would even think of moving him from the position, he mused.  Even the thought of such a thing caused a pain to go through him, despite the Headmaster's erratic behavior.  After all, he had been the closest thing he had to a parent for years, and despite still having little desire to speak with him, Severus found himself feeling rather guilty for avoiding him.

  Several days later, when Jennifer came to his office during their joint conference time, she sighed with exasperation to find his nose buried in a book again, so determined to find an answer that outside of classes he barely ate, coming back to the rooms simply to collapse.  As much as Jennifer knew how important it was, she couldn't help but be a little tired of it, especially when she had to repeat herself several times to get him to respond.

  "You didn't eat lunch again, did you?" Jennifer said, without expecting an answer, setting a bowl down on his desk.  "I brought you some porridge.  I know you don't particularly care for it, but it is sustaining and you have been running yourself into the ground with this lately."

  "Perhaps, but I think I finally have a working theory," Severus said, leaning back and taking off his spectacles for a moment.  Jennifer walked over and sat on the edge of the desk, leaning over to peer at the book on his desk.

  "'Spatial Relativity and the Rip Van Winkle Effect?'" Jennifer asked, reading the title.

  "Yes, something I found in the library…it's about how parallel universes each have their own individual time streams," Severus said, rubbing his eyes.

  "Oh, so like the time when Dumbledore went to visit Merlin in Tir Na Nog, when to him it only seemed like hours when to us it was nearly a year."

  "Correct…our Time flows faster than theirs…to put it in more tangible terms, it is as if it is more dense than ours.  Do you recall, Jennifer, how we spoke about how if the gates were opened improperly it would cause a rush of magic that would deplete ours as it rushes out…like air exiting a vacuum?" he asked, Jennifer nodding thoughtfully.  "In essence, I believe this is what is happening, only with the sheer mass of portals that are open, for I suspect there may be dozens…even hundreds we don't know about, it is literally sucking our Time Stream into theirs," he said, turning over the timer.

  "What?  But why would she want to do that?"

  "I think it should be obvious now…it should have been obvious, in fact, all along.  Because she does not see her death, Ciardoth believes the one and only way she can be destroyed is through destroying Time," Severus said distantly.  "She is a slave to it, and it is from Time she is attempting to be freed."

  "But if this is what she's doing, how come we haven't seen more signs of it?  I mean, shouldn't the hours of the day, or even the passing minutes, seem more irregular to us than just where the planet is positioned around the sun?"

  "Think of it like an hourglass, Jennifer…we seem to always go back to that, don't we?" Severus commented grimly but turned the timer over again, Jennifer watching it curiously.  "When time flows through it, it's the top reaches that begin to show strain first…to warp and disappear in the center, while the rest maintains a steady pace.  Why do you suppose the stars were the first to be out of alignment?  Before even sunsets and sunrises were questioned, astrologers and centaurs complained they could not read the stars.  Perhaps that shift in time is what put off the seers as well, although I am not as certain.  What I have realized is that cutting one portal off…" he said, snapping his fingers to make the sands literally become suspended, "is not going to be enough.  Not only must all of them must be stopped, but the process must be reversed and slowly restored."

  "You mean like with the real hourglass…with the diamonds, I mean?  To allow things to slowly recover?" Jennifer said.

   "Ideally, yes, only we have to be very careful when it's done…don't forget there is at least one other universe whose time is being drastically altered because of this whole mess…and have as much to lose as we do," he said quietly, snapping his fingers again.  Jennifer watched as more and more sand seemed to pour in from nowhere, completely encompassing the glass until finally it shattered, making Jennifer jump up in surprise.  "For if our time completely depletes into theirs, their own time stream would not be able to hold it.  But if we're going to stop this, I must first stop her…permanently, regardless of the consequences."

  "But why you, Severus?  Why not someone else?  I mean…just because she saw what she saw doesn't mean we don't have choices…"

  "Correct, Jennifer," Severus interrupted evenly, gazing at her straight in the eye.  "But I am the only one who completely understands how to kill her now, and I am not about to pass that responsibility to anyone else.  I will do it…at the time I know she will be the most vulnerable…and that will be when time itself is most vulnerable…when we reach the Solstice.  If time is all that can destroy her, it is that I must use.  And if I cannot…well, I suppose there will be no around who will know about it anyhow, will there…" he murmured in a dark tone.  But it was then that he noticed how visibly shaken his wife was, so trembling to the touch that he stood and pulled her into his arms in a vain attempt to try and comfort her.  "I suppose all of this is a bit much," he admitted, gently brushing her hair.

  "The thought of Ciardoth's prediction coming true…the thought of losing you…it's just more than I can bear, Severus…" Jennifer said, and Severus realized she had begun to sob softly.

  "Now, this is hardly over yet," Severus said, firmly pulling her back to look in her eyes.  "Do you hear me?  I don't care what Icarus or any other mad wizard might say to convince me that a future path will come true whether I like it or not.  It's true that ridding the world of Ciardoth and protecting you, our children and this school is paramount to me, but I will selfishly admit that self-preservation comes in a close fifth.  And I'm terribly sorry to have upset you.  I suppose I have been a disagreeable moaner lately."

  "It's hardly your fault.  These are dark times, really…"

  "All times are dark times," Severus corrected her softly, pushing her chin up.  "And I would suffer each one personally to prevent it from showing up in those green eyes of yours."

  "As would I, to keep you from rushing into danger all the time," Jennifer said.

  "Yes, well, it's doubtful you could stop that as long as we stay employed here, at least.  Even after our children graduate, there are godchildren and grandchildren and even worse…Weasleys on the way who are bound to pull us into their close calls, assuming you don't do it yourself," he teased gently, encouraged by her exasperated sigh.  "I am sorry I upset you.  Perhaps what I need is to find a way to clear my mind…let's do this…allow me a half an hour or so to do some forms to settle down, and I promise I will spend the rest of the evening with you and attempt to bury our troubles for one night."

  "I think that's a wonderful idea," Jennifer said, a genuine smile crossing her face before she hugged him tightly.  Gently he kissed the top of her head and then glanced over at the table, watching contentedly as the quill wrote her in and all of the books on his desk snapped shut on their own.

  As it so happened, however, a pleasant, trouble-free evening was going to be long in coming.

  For Severus had been so very absorbed in the dangers and terrible fate that Ciardoth constantly threatened them with and deciphering Thurspire's discovery of the portals, that his concern over Alicia's attitudes had seemed quite trivial in comparison, especially after she had uncomplainingly turned in that report about vampires and seemingly dropped the other subject.

  Had it been any other time…Severus would have watched her more carefully.  Had it been any other year, he would have made a point to question her more thoroughly…and definitely Pyther himself.  But as it so happened, it was the farthest thing from Severus' mind that night when he went to do exercises in the gym.  Perhaps it was a twist of fate; or perhaps it was pure circumstance…that after a workout that made him realize he had gotten out of shape over the holidays, he had decided to perhaps take a short walk by the lake to cool down.  But as he turned down the hallway instead of following his normal path past the Trophy Room, he happened to pass by the open door of the art studio, and decided on a whim to see what they were working upon. 

  Scenery, it seemed…he mused over some of the paintings…some quite elementary, while others, like the watercolor, were very elaborate.  Morfinn's, he supposed, remembering Alicia saying something about his talent in it.  But where was Alicia's? 

  It was then that he noticed two paintings in the corner, a tad larger than all the others and strangely positioned out of the view of the center of the room and beside two rather high stools.  Curiosity got the better of him and he went over to find himself facing a painting of Alicia's face, surrounded by a white textured background like cotton-spun clouds and sheer white gauze draping off her shoulders as if placed to give her golden locks somewhere regal enough to lay upon.  But it wasn't the presence of the dress or the evident blush in her cheeks and lips that terrified him so much as what he read from the look in her eyes. 

  Fear ripped through him even before he braved turning the other painting around, his heart nearly stopping cold as he stared at the painting of Francis Pyther, the chill running down his spine growing into ice as he lay witness to the impeccable detail…and the unmistakable, unquestionable look in Pyther's own eyes.

  Feeling an explosion of rage inside him, Severus stormed out of the room like a train out of control, but he didn't get far before his blood pulsing eardrums somehow heard the voice of Jennifer calling him from the door of the gym.

  "There you are, Severus!" Jennifer said, but then grew alarmed when she caught sight of his face, Severus not missing a step.  "Wait, what's wrong?  Where are you going?"

  "To find a stake!" Severus shouted with such fury that Jennifer backed off, wide-eyed.  "Go look, Jennifer!  The paintings in the corner…go look at them!" he ordered, pointing her back towards the studio before he stormed down the hall.  Fearful of what Severus was planning to do, Jennifer ran into the room, stopping short when she read the expressions on the two paintings.  Covering her mouth to keep from crying out, Jennifer raced off to find Dumbledore.

  No bolts, latches or spells, no matter how strong, were about to keep Severus Snape out of that room in the lower dungeon.  With a single stroke of the wand, the door came blasting off, the metal door hitting the wall behind Severus with such force that the entire corridor seemed to shake as he strode through the room and blasted off the top of the coffin.  In that moment, Francis found himself living his worst nightmare as Severus dragged him out by the collar with a look which would surely have killed him had he been alive.

  "How dare you!  How dare you paint my daughter like that!  How dare you treat her as anything more than a student!  How dare you take advantage of her situation!" Severus shouted at him furiously.

  "No, no, you've got it all wrong!  I would never do anything to hurt her, let alone take advantage of her!" Francis quivered.

  "I have it wrong, do I?  Then who painted that picture of her, Francis?  Who painted that one of you?" he demanded.

  "It is only a painting!"

  "It is much more than a painting and you know it!" Severus said, pulling him up and pushing him against the wall.  "Do you think because I'm not an artist I can't see what you were doing?  Did you imagine that I wouldn't notice it or that I wouldn't see how you insidiously used it to express unacceptable feelings towards her?"

  "I have never touched her, Severus!" Francis shouted firmly back.

  "Apparently, you didn't have to!  Admit it, Francis.  You have gone too far!  She is a child!"

  "I have done nothing but treated her like one…"

  "She is fourteen years old!"

  "She won't be forever!" Francis snapped.  Severus suddenly found himself taken aback by the admission.  "I have been nothing but a mentor to her.  I have been nothing but a complete gentlemen and I would never do anything to harm her.  What my personal feelings are really aren't anyone's business, but I do have some morals, vampire or not.  I would never cross that line, Severus."

  Severus stared at him in shock in horror for a moment, but then began to shake his head.

  "No.  No, you may mean what you say, but you wouldn't be able to stand by it.  Your eyes now are as revealing as the paintings that betrayed you.  I want you out of this castle.  I want you out this very night.  And I swear if I ever see you again, especially around my daughter, I shall personally tie you to the ground at midday and watch you writhe in pain until I put a stake in your heart and Wish you to go to hell." Severus said in a deadly serious tone.

  "All right, Severus," said the voice of Albus Dumbledore from behind them.  "Let him go.  You've had your say."  Beside him stood Jennifer, her face pale and expression stone cold.

  "Dumbledore…" Francis stammered, craning his neck to see him, for Severus had not made any motion to do as he was asked.  "Dumbledore, please help me."  Albus looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding.

  "Very well, Francis.  I shall help you pack," Albus said solemnly.  "Come, Severus, he is not staying here.  Let him go."

  Roughly Severus finally complied and stood, glaring over him until Jennifer finally reached out and took his arm, pulling him back a bit so that Francis could get up.

  "It's really no good, you know," Francis said shakily as he got to his feet.  "Even if I do try to stay away, she will find me anyhow with those paintings of hers.  You have no real way of preventing it."

  "Maybe not!" Severus snapped, his temper beginning to return as quickly as it began to cool down.  "But I know someone who does know a way, and I will not rest until I know it!"

  "We will stay here and keep an eye on him, Severus, so he doesn't go anywhere near her while gathering his things, and then I'll be happy to escort him out of the school myself," Albus said.  Francis gazed up at the Headmaster with a broken look on his face, while Albus was unusually firm and resolute.  Afraid his thoughts would betray him, Severus refused to look at either Albus or Jennifer as he strode out of the room.  At a loss for words and filled with more emotions than could fill a single painting, Francis Pyther found himself crumpling to his knees.


	31. Conflicting Memories

Chapter Thirty-One

Conflicting Memories

  Despite the hour, Severus found the door to Toby's shop open and Toby himself…Merlin to those who truly knew him, sat on the counter with a coat of magic varnish, polishing the wand he had been working on.  When Severus strode in, he gazed at him with an intent and solemn look that made Severus feel as if Toby already knew what he was going to ask.

  "Several years ago when Alicia first came to the school, a painting of yours came up with a way to keep her from using Hogwarts paintings to travel outside of the school.  I need a way now to keep her away from someone she should not be around."

  "Yes, so you do," Toby agreed and then gestured up to the wall, Severus' eyes following to see a simple painting of geometric figure…or was it?  "It's a paradox, Severus.  Nothing stops up any sort of magic like a paradox does, you know that.  I believe it will also hold true for paintings…she would not be able to travel anywhere near the thing…more than likely she would find herself back in the frame she started out in, and it's cursed so that once given to someone it'll follow that person around.  Of course, there is a catch, Severus."

  "What this time?" Severus said, squinting.

  "Simply that the curse goes away in seven years, and at that point, the owner can dispose of it if he likes," Toby said, watching the emotions crossing the other man's face.  "Severus, you are right that now is not the time for them to go down this avenue…but once your daughter is an adult and has properly gotten her feet in the world, it would be quite unwise to not let her make her own decision on the matter.  Your relationship is going to be tarnished by this enough."

  "Perhaps tonight I learned that there are sometimes things more important than preserving a child's opinion of me," Severus said.

  "I know, Severus, I know," Toby said with a sympathetic smile, gesturing.  "Help yourself," he said, nodding as Severus threw some coins in and grabbed the painting off the wall.  "Until tomorrow then."

  "What makes you so sure I'm coming back here tomorrow?" Severus scowled at him.  But Toby merely touched a finger to his forehead and smiled.  Aggravated by the old man's surety, Severus vowed to avoid the shop the next day.

  No student in the school could help but miss the fact that the ghosts in the school were quite out of sorts the next morning…especially Alicia.  Groups of them who seemed to never talk to each other were huddled in rooms and corridors and under staircases.  But every time Alicia came around they would suddenly all grow quiet and float away or fade from view.  If that wasn't enough, she began to notice that the painting all seemed mysteriously vacant when she passed them on her way to breakfast.

  "What is going on?" she asked, but it was quite clear that none of them wanted to answer.  Finally, Alicia turned back to the main stairwell, ignoring the students who were passing her curious looks.  Immediately the frames near her began to clear out.  "Stop it!  Stop avoiding me!  I demand to know what's going on at once!" she said angrily.  "Have you all gone mad or something?  Or have I done something to make you mad at me?"

  "They're not angry with you, Alicia," said the voice of Caprica Dusthorn.  Alicia looked up to see the painting working her way into a closer frame.  "In fact, they're not angry with anyone, just a bit upset about certain circumstances."

  "What circumstances?" she asked.

  "Actually…actually, perhaps you had better talk to your father about it," Caprica decided.

  "No, not until I find out why all of you are avoiding me," Alicia said stubbornly.  "Tell me what's going on!"  Many of the paintings in the stairwell began exchanging glances with each other, their faces growing in concern.

  "Alicia, Francis Pyther is no longer at Hogwarts," Caprica said softly.  "He's moved on, as it were.  I don't believe he's even in the country any longer."

  "What do you mean, not in the country?  He wouldn't have left without saying goodbye!  Why did he leave?" Alicia asked angrily, but Caprica grew quiet again.

  Alicia turned and ran down the hall, not stopping until she got to the Defense room, and despite the fact that her father was in the middle of an early double stormed right in, the first year's turning to peer at her curiously.  Severus, who happened to be in the middle of a lecture, frowned at her.

  "Couldn't it have waited?" he asked with annoyance.

  "I want to know what happened to Mr. Pyther," Alicia said.

  "In my office, Miss Snape," Severus said.

  "No!  I want to hear it from you now!" Alicia said.  In the corner, Descartes began to protest the raised voices.

  "Mr. Pyther is no longer at Hogwarts.  But I will not have you interrupting my class with…"

  "What did you do to him?" she shouted, Descartes protesting again.  "Oh shut up, you metal chicken!"

  "You are out of line, Miss Snape!  Your choices are to go to my office or otherwise leave my classroom until a more appropriate time.  If I must tell you again, I will be taking points off…"

  "You can stuff your points up your ass!  I don't care anymore!  I'm going to go find Pyther, and I dare anyone to try and stop me!" Alicia shouted.  Jamie and Joanie stared at her with their jaws dropped.

  "Be my guest," Severus said evenly gesturing her to the door.  Furiously Alicia stormed out, the entire class stunned into silence.  "Now, where were we?" Severus said as if not in the least bit ruffled by what had happened, turning to the blackboard.

  It didn't take long for word to get out after that, both about Alicia's actions and the fact that the painter had indeed left the school.  A solid drop of Hufflepuff's points was the first indication; but the explosion of information truly hit after Severus released the class.   But Severus knew very well it was bound to happen and slipped through the passages until he came out just down the corridor from the One-Eyed Witch, stopping a rather large group of students right in their tracks; Alex, Aurelius, Andrew, Mandria, Halbert, Stock, Heph, Phoebe, and Morfinn were all there.

  "And just where do you think you are going?" Severus asked.

  "To find our sister, where else?" Aurelius said.

  "She will return when she's ready," Severus said.  "I know she is upset right now and I know you are concerned, but I need you to be concerned with your own affairs and let the school handle this issue.  Now, back to the Great Hall, all of you, it's lunchtime.  I will be watching."

  "You should be watching her," Alex said angrily.  Andrew took her arm.

  "Come on, he said he had it under control," Andrew said, and reluctantly they turned and headed back towards the stairway, glancing over their shoulders every now and then to see him still standing there.

  "You can hardly blame them for being worried," said a soft voice from behind Severus.

  "When she realizes she can't reach him through paintings and has a chance to calm down, she'll return," Severus said, glancing at his watch.  "She's at Corey's now."

  "You're correct, of course, she will return by evening," Icarus agreed, materializing behind him.  "Although I fear the more she learns about the events, the more your relationship will deteriorate."

  "It couldn't be helped," Severus said curtly, putting an alarm ward on the statue before walking down the hall.

  "No, no, you're right, it couldn't be helped, Severus…no one on staff questions that…and I think once Pyther has time to cool down and resettle and actually think the whole situation over that he is going to understand as well," Icarus said.

  "Frankly, Icarus, I hardly care if he understands or not," Severus snapped.

  "I know…I know…you had every reason to be concerned, and we are all very glad that you found out this was going on before things went farther than they had…but…it was a rather heartbreaking situation.  Pyther should have very much known better, yes, and even if this occurred a year or two later, Alicia would not truly comprehend the ramifications what such a relationship would mean, and yet…I feel quite compelled to tell you something, Severus, about something I remember," Icarus said.

  "Spare me, Icarus.  I've had enough future memories to give me headaches as it is," Severus sighed.

  "She is the only one of the four children who will find their cosmic match, Severus," Icarus said firmly, causing Severus to stop walking.  "And yes, it's very, very tragic that they met when they did, that he had to watch her grow up, I imagine this is as traumatic for Pyther as it is for you."

  "Even if that is so, he is dead."

  "Oh come, now, Severus!  He has a mind, soul, and a body!" Icarus snapped.  "So long as the soul is present, what else matters?  You know, there have been cases, too, where a body has been revived from such an anomaly…"

  "Not after six hundred years!"

  "No, that is quite true," Icarus said.  "But about ten years from now when Alicia's age matches that of his physically and they are both allowed to make up their own minds, the two of them will ask you to try, knowing full well the risks but wanting a chance to have a normal life together.  That, I think, is when you will be glad that he understands why you did what you did."

  Severus' shoulders slumped then and he leaned over the rail looking down into the stairwell as Icarus continued on, letting out a long sigh as he thought about what the ghost had said.  A moment later, a startling realization jolted him around and sent him back into the hall, calling Icarus by name as he hurried over to where the somber spook was still lingering.

  "This event you told me of, ten years from now?  This was a memory of yours?" Severus said.

  "Yes, Severus, a memory of mine from when I was alive, of course.  I told you before…I have always remembered Alicia quite well."

  "Yes, but what you're telling me is direct conflict with one of Ciardoth's own memories.  How is that possible?" Severus demanded, the ghost staring starkly back at him.  "How could that be possible at all unless the future can be changed?"

  "Memories cannot be changed, Severus," Icarus said firmly.  "To even try is to invite disaster.  No one knows that better than I."

  "Then how do explain the conflict?" Severus asked.

  "I don't know, Severus, I'm simply a ghost, and a mad one at that.  Surely there is someone else who could answer that," Icarus said calmly.

  Severus let out a long groan.

  It was just after dinner when Severus made his way to Toby's Tinker shop, attempting to remain expressionless as he went over to the counter.  Ashley Bailey, who was leaning on the counter keeping the old man company looked up at him curiously, but unsurprised at the same time.

  "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to really speak to you, Toby.  Privately," he added.

  "Quite all right, we were done here anyhow," Ashley said with an enigmatic smile, Toby matching it.  "Did Alicia get back to the school all right, Severus?"

  "I understand she did, although she is not having much to do with me at the moment," Severus said, waving it off as if it didn't matter.

  "That is going to take some time, I'm sure," Ashley said, nodding in understanding.  "Good evening."

  Toby watched her go with a smile, while Severus impatiently drummed his fingers across the counter until the door closed behind her.

  "I see you're back again…"

  "I am not here to watch you gloat," Severus said sourly, growing annoyed when he saw the look on Toby's face.  "I am here to ask you about future memory.  Can it be changed?"

   "Well I'm surprised that you of all people would ask me such a question, Severus.  I thought you had made up your mind on that…"

  "No double talk this time, old man, this is much too serious for that," Severus snapped.

  "True enough," Toby said somberly.  "Memories are memories, Severus, not visions.  They don't really follow the same rules."

  "So you are telling me then, that they cannot be changed?" Severus pressed.

  "How the deuce would I know, Severus?" Toby said, gazing at him fixedly.  Severus stared back at him.

  "You wouldn't, would you?" Severus murmured.  "You would only recall the memory that replaced it, you wouldn't know there was anything different!  And if you did try to change a future…"

  "I wouldn't even recall what it was that made me want to change it in the first place," Toby finished with a thin smile.  "Very good, you are catching on, Severus…although…"

  "Then what Icarus was seeing of the future may be what it should have been and things have changed since then…"

  "Interesting theory, Severus, however…"

  "Which means that what Ciardoth sees can be changed," Severus murmured in conclusion.

  "Now, just when was that ever questioned, Severus?" Toby said, raising his voice slightly.  "Are you or are you not the man who has always argued the question of free will?"  Severus looked slightly off balance, and then nodded.

  "True, however, certain events, I admit, have made me wonder, at times…"

  "Goodness, Severus.  I can see why Wart might be questioning self-will right now, but surely you have no reason to.  You have always to this point have done your best to teach everyone, students, family and friends that they are ultimately responsible for their own destinies, and to see you falter like this is rather disheartening.  It's time you start practicing what you preach," he scolded firmly.  "Time may be a flowing force, yes, but it's not the grains of sand that fall before or after this moment that matter.  The past may be a teacher, and the future a road of consequences, but ultimately the only time that matters is the present, whether you speak of physically, metaphysically, or personally, Severus.  It is the only time one can decide in.  It is the only time you can act in, and damn it all, Severus, it's about time you realized it is the ONLY time you've got.  Now, you can spend that time like hundreds of others do by reminiscing about the past or worrying about the future, or you can use it as it was meant to be used.  To decide.  To act.  To live.  Not to spend the entire time second-guessing yourself!  You of all people should know what comes of those that do that.  Now, I understand at this point you are just attempting all the facts straight, and that means delving into the past and yes, perhaps looking into possible paths of the future to get those facts as well.  But I don't want you to ever forget what really matters.  Honestly, Severus, you really ought to know better," he finished, picking out the ornate wand he had been working on to put another coat of gloss on it.  "Oh, and one other thing, before you walk out of here to chew on that.  Don't forget that this piece of wood is simply there to handicap and control one's power, not to enhance it.  If you are going to face Ciardoth, you'll probably need to use other methods before the end.  See you at Solstice, Severus."

  "That remains to be seen," Severus said starkly, but Toby merely smiled at him and kept rubbing the wand.

  "So it does, dear boy, so it does," the Enchanter said.  "I only hope you remember that in the days ahead, regardless of what happens."  Severus frowned slightly, very aware that the statement was to be taken as a warning.  So he would take it to heart, he mused, turning to the door.  But he knew better now than to let it dictate any decisions he would have to make.

  Even though Alicia had returned, it was obvious to everyone around her that things were far from all right.  Questions from her siblings were immediately ignored, with her passing them in the halls in stony silence.  She didn't want to have anything to do with any Snape right then.  Even her best friend Morfinn had very limited success when he tried to talk to her at dinner.

  "My father has always hated him," Alicia said, poking at her food viciously.

  "Who? Mr. Pyther?" Morfinn asked quietly.

  "He hates all vampires.  He almost became one himself," Alicia said, Morfinn's eyes growing wide.  "Ask him yourself.  I bet he's afraid Pyther would start turning us into them, especially me.  I almost wish I were one."

  "Alicia!  You don't really mean that!" Morfinn said, horrified.  "You're just upset."

  "I do mean it!  He'd have to deal with it then!  What is he going to do, send me away too?  At least then perhaps I could find out what happened to Mr. Pyther," she said, standing up, leaving the majority of the food untouched.  Worriedly, Morfinn looked over at Phoebe, who shrugged slightly.

  "Could be just raging hormones.  Late bloomer and all that," she confided to him.

  "Maybe, but I hope she doesn't do anything foolish, all the same," Morfinn said, watching as she left.

  Alicia simply felt she needed to be alone.  Ignoring the greetings of a couple of her housemates who had returned from dinner early to study, Alicia went up to her dorm room, taking a moment to gaze outside at the rain that started just before the sunset.  What would it be like, she wondered, to never see the sun again?  She lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling.  Noticing her, Marion began pushing at the top of the cage until she sighed and let the Chameleander out, petting him gently.  Francis had accepted that restriction and more so gracefully…of course his daily meals had always been a problem, for Francis would sooner starve than cause harm to anyone.  Fear gripped her then, dropping her familiar back in his aquarium before lying down again, pulling her legs up.  How would he survive now without the donation network Hogsmeade had long provided?  Would he be able to find donors wherever he was, or was he going to be left on his own, attempting to fend for himself?  Alicia's heart sunk at the idea.  Could a vampire starve?  She felt her eyes begin to tear up…worried, angry, heartbreaking tears that didn't want to stop once they started, the idea of never knowing what happened to him unbearable in her mind.  Putting a pillow over her head to hide herself from the world and cut out the light, Alicia cried herself to sleep, lulled by the tears and the pelting down rain outside her window.

  The rain echoed in her mind, even in her sleep, hitting the ground with such force it almost sounded as if it were hailing.  She could almost feel it upon her skin, she thought, and realized then that she was walking through the rain in the blackest of night, unsure of where she was, or even what time it was.  She had been wandering for some time before she heard her name called, and a voice that thrilled her to hear.

  "Mr. Pyther!" she called out, looking around.  "Francis, where are you?"

  "Here, Alicia!  Follow my voice!" he said, calling out from the darkness.  "Come find me, please!  Your father is planning on killing me!  I'm tied up, waiting for first light!"

  "No!" Alicia said, taking a cautious step in the darkness.

  "Hurry, Alicia!  Hurry, we can leave together!" the voice said.

  "I'm coming!  Just keep talking!" Alicia said, running into the darkness.

  Albus had only closed his eyes for a moment when a sudden fear went through him and he opened them wide.  Without hesitation he leapt from his desk, diving out of his office and sliding down the stairs in a maneuver many have his students and staff wouldn't have thought him capable of doing, then dashing out the door.  All the staircases began to move at once, startling many students on them as he raced towards them.  Hermione, who had been heading for his office, cried out in surprise as he ran past.

  "No time, no time!  A student's life is in danger!" Albus said as he ran down the stairs.  But even with manipulating the staircases so that he immediately found himself on the landing leading to the Hufflepuff rooms, Albus knew he wouldn't reach her in time this way.  Making a rash but necessary decision, Albus collapsed.

  The longer Alicia traveled through the darkness, the harder it seemed to breathe, every now and then calling out for Pyther to hear his coaxing voice leading her further and further on.  It never occurred to her that it was a dream…everything had seen so real…the idea that her father would try to kill him was quite believable in her mind at that moment, and she so wanted to see him…she would have done practically anything in that instant to do so.  Finally she thought she made out a patch of something grey in the distance and began to go towards it, imagining it to be the image of a tree.  But as she began to close in she slowed down, for there was no sign of Pyther there at all.  Just then, the tree suddenly burst into a swarm of bats and Alicia had to cover her head as they flew around her.  Finally they stopped, and Alicia looked around to see a circle of red flashing eyes around her.

  "So you want to be a vampire?" said a woman's mocking voice from out of the darkness.  "Yes, I'm sure that would solve everything.  Death does do that, you know.  Nothing left to worry about.  Nothing left to care about," Ciardoth went on.  "It is something I myself crave, so don't despair, child, I understand your plight, and will grant your wish.  Of course, I can't guarantee your soul will stay, but that's quite all right with me.  It will be such fun to see Snape's expression when he sees my newest, loyal, servant," she said, gently raising one hand to tell the vampires around Alicia to close in.

  Alicia let out a piercing scream as they grabbed her, desperately trying to fight them off as they tried to force her still.  But just when she thought she was done for, she heard a voice call out from the darkness.

  _"Lumos solem!"_ 

  Strong sunlight brighter than midday on a summer's afternoon penetrated the darkness and let up the castle grounds, causing the soulless vampires to scream in pain and terror and leaving Alicia momentarily blinded, crouched on the ground where they had encircled her.  When her eyes finally cleared, she looked up to see Albus Dumbledore himself, looking much stronger than she remembered seeing him since well before Fawkes died.

  "Ah!  Look who's come to meet his fate!" Ciardoth said on the other side of Alicia, a mad sparkle in her eyes as her mouth curled in obvious satisfaction.  "I was, really, quite content to be so easily handed this little morsel, and yet here you are…out of your body, no less…one to which you will never return to."

  "What happens to me no longer matters, Ciardoth," Albus said evenly.  "Alicia is a student of Hogwarts and is under my protection, even now.  She will be returned."

  "Perhaps so," Ciardoth said smoothly.  "But you shall not!"  Suddenly she raised her hands and pointed them at Alicia, causing Dumbledore to instinctively leap in front of her.  As the lightning came down upon them, Alicia woke up screaming.

  "Professor!" she shouted, leaping out of bed and racing out of her dorm and through the common room, bolting down the corridor to the main stairwell.  But as she neared the landing it was crowded with people, including Madame Pomfrey and Professor Weasley, attempting to shoo everyone back as they lifted Albus Dumbledore up on a stretcher.  "Professor Dumbledore!  Oh no!" Alicia said, falling to the ground and bursting into tears.

  They had taken a walk through the castle after Severus had returned that night, talking about what Toby had said while Jennifer listened thoughtfully, and with true hope in his words.

  "You know, now that he's said that and after what you've found out, I feel a little foolish for being so afraid of her memories now," Jennifer said quietly, gazing out one of the windows at the rain on the Quidditch Pitch.

  "Well, it's not as if it still isn't a possibility," Severus said in a low voice.  "But really, what guarantee is there for any of us at any moment of our lives?  All any of us can do is safeguard what we can and try to do what's best…in the present.  It isn't our place to question the past or the future, really."

  "Then why do we make Time-Turners?" Jennifer teased.

  "Perhaps because whoever invented it hasn't learned that lesson yet," Severus frowned at her.  "Although…" he paused then thoughtfully, a strange expression on his face as he attempted to work something out.

  "What is it?"

  "Nothing, it's…I rather tried to wrap my head around that problem and got lost for a moment," he mused.

  "Well, what's that supposed to mean," Jennifer chuckled, taking his arm.

  "I'll think I'll need to look something up first…"

  "Oh, no you don't, Severus Snape!  You promised me after what happened last night that you would spend some quality time with me, and I'm holding you to it," she said, leading him back up to the front corridors.  "It's time you used the present to think about your wife for a change."

  "I think of you no matter what it is I'm doing, Jennifer," Severus protested in a low voice.  "At the very least, because of you."  Jennifer smiled warmly at him as they turned the corner towards the front of the Great Hall.

    Jennifer heard the sound of a woman sobbing then and glanced around, feeling strangely disoriented.  The two of them looked up to see Hermione walking in from the side corridor, her face red and obviously shaken by something.

  "What is it?  What's happened?" Jennifer said in alarm.

  "It's Albus, Jennifer.  He just…he said there was a student in danger and took off running and then he just…collapsed," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.  "He's in some sort of coma and Sagittari says…he's doesn't think…he may not wake up at all," she finally got out.  Unable to bear it anymore, Hermione walked on towards her office.  "I need to send out some letters."

  "Dumbledore," Jennifer said in terror.  "Severus, it's just like in the nightmare!"

  "Only this is real," Severus said, and the two of them took off in a run towards the hospital wing. 

  As they dashed in, Jennifer saw Alicia crying heavily near the door and stopped cold while Severus continued on in.

  "Are you all right?" Jennifer said, sitting beside her worriedly.

  "It's all my fault," Alicia said.  "It's all my fault, and now he won't wake up!"  Confused and stunned, Jennifer pulled her daughter close, wondering what could have happened to pull Alicia into the mix, while inside, Severus sat by the unconscious Headmaster's side, shaken from the thought of a Hogwarts without an Albus Dumbledore.


	32. Solstice

Chapter Thirty-Two

Solstice

Jennifer took a seat by Tonks and waited in the staff room patiently as the rest of the faculty gathered. In the far corner, Hermione and Severus were speaking in low voices, but Jennifer saw from their faces that they were arguing over who should speak. Finally they came to a decision and came over, both wearing their most grim expressions.

"In light of the events of yesterday evening," Severus began, everyone immediately giving him their full attention. "Hermione and I will be temporarily taking on joint headmaster responsibilities, much like what was done when he was on leave. Jennifer will be taking on my position as castle security, while Tonks will be in charge of maintaining Dumbledore's sand walls and ground security. Otherwise…" he paused and looked up in surprise as Anna came in, finding a place to stand near the back. "Otherwise," he continued, "It will be business as usual until we learn any more about Dumbledore's condition. We would also appreciate it if you did not answer any panicked parents letters and so on and so forth about this matter, but refer them all to Hermione's desk. Also of note, Alicia Snape shall be staying overnight in the hospital wing for at least several evenings so there will be one less during painting bed checks. If anyone notices any unusual behavior among students or unusually tired students, be sure to report it to Hermione and myself. Thank you."

Several people turned then and quietly welcomed Anna back warmly as they exited in small groups, while Jennifer, Hermione and Severus lingered behind.

"A couple days earlier than I expected," Severus admitted when he finally greeted her.

"Well, Sirius is home now, as is Lindsay, and with everything going on here, I thought I'd better get back."

"Do you suppose they're going to be all right?" Jennifer said.

"Oh, Harry drops by during the day, as do some of Sirius' other friends," Anna said. "To be perfectly honest, in a lot of ways, Lindsay's been a godsend. After we got back from the trip, Severus, I found out that Ginny ended up taking Lindsay to the hospital for a few hours. She insisted she bring Sirius some fries, apparently the two of them have made a very strong connection in the processes. He's not brooding anymore. And, it was his idea for me to come back once he heard the news."

"So how are the two of you?" Severus asked in a low voice, but after a moment, Anna nodded.

"Better," she said. "We've a long way to go, but…he seems to be listening to me now. And then, every now and then, usually out of the blue, he'll talk about one thing or another…although never for very long."

"I think it is a good sign," Severus decided.

"Me too," Anna said with a wan smile. "But how is Dumbledore? Honestly?" Severus grew somber, so Anna glanced over at Hermione.

"Honestly, we don't know," she admitted. "Sagittari believes that instead of an actual dream that Albus tried astral projecting to make sure he got to Alicia in time and may have just…lost his way back. Either that or…"

"Or he cannot come back," Severus murmured. "And his body will remain nothing but a shell."

"I could try to find him," Anna said slowly.

"No," said Severus immediately. "No, it's much too dangerous, Anna, and we need you here. When the Solstice comes, I need as many people here as possible in case things begin to deteriorate. Dumbledore would have wanted us to put the safety of the school first." Sighing softly, Anna nodded in agreement, but Jennifer looked unusually somber as they went down the hall. Severus excused himself and slipped into the Great Hall, where many of the students were arriving for breakfast, and over to the Slytherin table. Aurelius' eyes were intent on his father from the moment he came in, a questioning look in his gaze as he hoped to find out the latest on what was going on. "I need to speak to you in my office as soon as you can get away," Severus told him in a low voice.

"I'll come now," Aurelius said, but Severus made a gesture to stop him.

"Eat first, then come," Severus advised him, immediately walking towards the front doors. Aurelius watched him go thoughtfully, knowing that he made no attempt to contact his brother at all, despite the fact that Andrew was watching the exchange intently from his own table. Andrew looked back at Aurelius did, but Aurelius shrugged unknowingly and the two went back to eating.

Alex came in a few moments later with the same questioning look, but her eyes were fixed on Hufflepuff table for a moment before she glanced back at Andrew. Andrew made a motion as if pulling his beard and mouthed the name, 'Dumbledore.' Sighing, Alex took her seat. But Aurelius had already changed gears and began to eat as quickly as possible, excusing himself quickly from his friends and headed down the hall. Fortunately, this time Severus didn't appear to have an early class…instead seemed quite content to relax with a very large mug of coffee and a basket of quickly disappearing anise muffins.

"Come in," he said evenly when he heard the soft knock, gesturing to a seat. Without a word, Aurelius said down and waited expectantly, while his father simply seemed to be content to gaze at him for a moment while taking a sip of his coffee. Finally, he put it down. "Aurelius, you currently have in your possession a priceless artifact of this school," Severus said evenly. Aurelius frowned warily, but didn't answer. "I would like to borrow it, if you don't mind." Aurelius stared at him.

"Borrow it?" Aurelius repeated suspiciously.

"For one evening, yes," Severus said.

"And then what will happen to it?" Aurelius said cautiously.

"Well, that's entirely up to you, but I hope you will have the sense to eventually return it to the school when you no longer have any use for it," Severus said expressionlessly. Aurelius looked down a moment, flipping it around in his hands and feeling the tingle travel through his arm as he thought of all the times he had used it over the last two weeks. Finally he took it out of his pocket.

"Keep it," Aurelius said resolutely. "To be perfectly honest, I've regretted every time I've used it. It's very dangerous, in a way," he said.

"In what way?" Severus asked as he took the Obol and gave it a cursory examination.

"Well, in the fact that once you see a future prediction it's hard to choose any other path," Aurelius said, Severus gazing at him with renewed interest. "It seemed to me at first a very simple idea to just walk away from something you've seen…but then you spend a lot of time wondering, 'what if I do walk away? What if someone gets hurt? What if the future is worse another way?' It doesn't make it easy to walk away from."

"Fortunately, it's not precisely my own future I want to see, but I appreciate the warning. However, you do bring up one valid point…besides your own conscience, there truly was no reason you couldn't have walked away if you would have allowed yourself to," he pointed out.

"Yes, I did have a choice," Aurelius agreed with a nod. "But once you know for sure what one path is going to lead to, it's hard not to try and follow it. By the way, how did you know I had it?"

"I had suspicions, as did an old Tinker I know, it seems," Severus said, Aurelius looking quite surprised at that.

"He sure gets around doesn't he?"

"Annoying, isn't it?"

"Very," Aurelius agreed, and then grew thoughtful. "You know…I almost used it last night…to see if Dumbledore was going to be all right. But I was afraid it was going to say no."

"Yes," Severus said thoughtfully. "Some things are best not knowing."

"Like how one's going to die?" Aurelius asked slowly. Severus gazed at him for a long time, putting the coin away.

"You had better get ready for class. Thank you for turning it over," he said quietly. Aurelius nodded.

"Good riddance," Aurelius said as he got up. "I think I understand more than ever why Ciardoth, Icarus, and even the old man himself are more than a little balmy."

"Good, I'm glad you at least got something out of all of this," Severus said expressionlessly. "Do me a favor and make sure Alicia gets to her class. I hardly think she would care to see me anywhere about," he said, glancing at his watch.

"Don't worry. I don't think Alicia's down on anybody but herself since last night," Aurelius said, but went to find her anyhow.

The moment he left, Severus got up and stepped over Rasputin to reach the center of the room, double-checking to make sure that Aurelius closed the door properly. Then he took out the coin, studying the marks upon it carefully before tossing it in the air.

"I want to know if Icarus' memory about my meeting Pyther again will come true," Severus said, gazing thoughtfully at the face of a Pythia, an oracle priestess, was reflected in the spinning coin. At last it came down again and he let it lay flat in his hand, watching a scene play out in front of him with a critical frown.

"Very well, then I want to know if Ciardoth's memory of my death will come true," Severus said, tossing the coin up again. The Pythia had her eyes closed, and it spun and spun for a very long time before finally coming down again, literally spinning on its side for a moment before resting in his hand. He stared at the answer in alarm and disbelief, thinking over both of them before shaking his head and slamming the coin down on his desk, taking his chair and staring at it. "The only truth is in the present," Severus murmured to himself. "The only thing that matters is the present," he said again, as if attempting to convince himself of the fact. "The only thing that matters…" Severus suddenly stopped cold and sat straight up, an idea piercing through his mind that stunned him to think of…could something like that work? Could it possibly happen? He stood up then and began to pace, feeling his adrenalin rush with what he was thinking. After a few moments he turned, folded his hands together and pulled them over his forehead, finding himself gazing at the picture of his wife on the wall…realizing without a doubt exactly what was at stake. He would have to try…he knew…but if he were wrong…putting it out of his mind, Severus thrust the coin in his pocket and decided to hurry up to the Headmaster's Study before class.

* * *

It was late on the evening on February first, and the days were quite decidedly much shorter now…but that was not the only change. Rain and sometimes sleet now pelted the school continuously through both the day and night, making it extremely difficult to tell exactly when the sun was setting…but it was obvious that Professor Sinistra knew. For often the usually morning groggy Professor would be hovering in the Great Hall before breakfast to try and catch Severus Snape before going up to her Tower to crash, and every day they both became graver and graver. The lake was swelling more and more by the day, and students sick of the weather, and devastated by the announcement that the Quidditch season was to be cancelled until the further notice, spent a lot of their time looking out windows and wondering just how exactly any of them were going to get home with the tracks covered in water.

Even Magical Creatures class was brought into the tower to keep the students off the grounds and away from the disturbing creaking of the floodwalls against the pressure of the water. And even though, as Sagittari said, it gave them an opportune time to study some of the more minute creatures of the magic world, everyone was getting cabin fever.

But none of them more so than Aurelius. It was that evening as Stock lit candles in the window that the ache began to peak, and Aurelius, maddened with confinement and the call pulsing in his heart, he finally pushed himself up despite Stock and Heph's protests and ran out of the rooms, barely able to keep himself from running out the nearest door. Instead he somehow managed to beat desperately on his father's office door. Severus opened it a moment later, Jennifer appearing beside him and peering out questioningly.

"I can't. I can't do this," Aurelius gasped. "I've got to see Pali." Severus glanced at Jennifer, who had a pained expression on her face.

"I'm sorry, Aurelius, you know as well as we do that it's absolutely impossible," Severus said. "There is several feet of water in nearly every direction…"

"Then let me take a broom out!"

"No, not in this weather."

"I've played Quidditch in worse than this!"

"It is much too dangerous, Aurelius! You are going to have to ignore it! Jennifer, get him a strong sleeping draught," Severus said.

"But what if Pali needs me?" Aurelius pleaded, but Severus shook his head. Distraught, Aurelius headed out, and Severus sighed, turning to Jennifer who looked a bit glassy eyed.

"Hand me the potion, Jennifer, I'll go make sure he doesn't try it," Severus said quietly.

"He can't help it…"

"I know. But this is not the time."

"I know," Jennifer said, handing out the bottle. "There seems to be a lot of that lately, isn't there? About now not being the time?" Severus took the bottle and paused a moment to kiss the hand it rested in before going out to look for his son.

He found him just outside the courtyard doors, sitting on the steps barely protected by the awning and staring out into the darkness. Sighing softly, Severus sat down beside him without saying a word.

"Things are so wrong…so terribly wrong…" Aurelius murmured. "Is there nothing bright in the world left? Even the stars themselves are threatening now. Are we ever going to see the end of this?"

"If Sinistra is right, perhaps as soon as the end of the week," Severus said quietly.

"Thank God," Aurelius said. "Then one way or the other, it'll be over soon. And frankly, right now, I couldn't care how it ends as long as it ends."

Severus knew quite well that his son was speaking more out emotion than reason in that moment, and yet in such a dark moment, he could understand it well. But just when things couldn't seem to get any darker for either of them, a neigh rang out as bright as polished gold bells, immediately lifting the haze that was descending upon both of them.

"Pali?" Aurelius said with surprise as the two of them stood up. A moment later, walking carefully on the stones of the courtyard and gingerly attempting to avoid some of the bigger puddles stood the crooked-horned stallion, raising his head regally up as he gazed at up at his rider.

"It would seem that you were not the only one compelled to meet tonight, although damned if I know how he got past the water, let alone the walls," Severus mused, wondering when the last time was that a Unicorn willingly stepped onto the grounds.

"He probably walked right through it," Aurelius said, a strange, almost golden sound in his voice. "I should go to him."

"Stay in the courtyard," Severus warned. "I'll watch from here."

Grateful that his anguish was over, Aurelius hurried down the stairs and over to Pali, the two of them standing head against head for a moment as if conferring privately with each other, both apparently completely oblivious to the cold, beating rain. But Severus looked up at the sky before drawing out his pipe, and for the first time in weeks allowed himself a private moment to indulge himself by puffing on it, the feeling of the pipe in his hand as warm as the memory that inspired it.

It was as the pipe's embers began to cool that Pali turned away and Aurelius stepped back to watch the stallion pick his way back over the stones and disappear out the gate. Aurelius turned around then, dazedly fixing his eyes in on his father, having forgotten he had even been standing there. But a moment later recognition took hold and he climbed up to where he was, looking once back over his shoulder.

"Rather surreal, isn't it, with everything going on," Aurelius said, his voice sounding hollow in his own ears.

"One must take comfort when one can," Severus decided, dumping out his pipe.

"Why do I feel like I may never find it again?" Aurelius asked then, but Severus didn't answer, following him back inside.

"I will walk you back to your rooms," Severus decided, holding the Sleeping Potion for him to take. Thanking him softly, Aurelius reluctantly took it and soon was safe back to his rooms. Then, after detouring past the medical wing to check in on Alicia and nodding to Poppy who was keeping the night watch, Severus finally headed to his own rooms, glad to have the opportunity to finally spend some time alone with Jennifer.

* * *

Morale, it seemed, would be the first thing to fall. Without Dumbledore's lighthearted attitude to pick everyone up and confined as they were, things began to get glummer and quicker tempered. In fact, it was only several days later that Severus heard a frightful row outside the classroom door, compounded by Descartes' cries of alarm, to find Halbert and Andrew in a rather vicious fistfight. Hermione, who had ran in from down the hall just as Severus had rounded the corner, immediately knocked Halbert back with a spell, momentarily stunning him while Severus reached underneath him and grabbed Andrew out, one of his eyes getting more off color by the minute.

"What is going on here?" Severus demanded, glaring at his son who merely stood in silence. Halbert, shaking himself out of the stun, began to insult and cuss Andrew out in French.

"Twenty points off Gryffindor for fighting! And ten more off for your language!" Hermione shouted out, pulling Halbert back. "I'm taking him to my office so he'll cool off, Professor Snape. Perhaps Andrew should get some medical attention."

"Fine, but not until he has a few words with me first," Severus growled, turning Andrew around towards his office and giving him a gentle shove. Reluctantly, Andrew went in, attempting to straighten his disheveled robes. "Just what has gotten into you? You, supposedly the cool tempered member of the family getting into a knock-down drag out in the middle of the hall like that!"

"Well, it wasn't like it was my idea," Andrew said glumly. "Halbert hit me."

"I hardly need you to tell me about what I can plainly see. Why did he hit you?" Severus asked.

"It was just an unfortunate misunderstanding, that's all," Andrew said. But Severus stared starkly at him with his arms folded. It was evident he wasn't going to let it go. "Look…Halbert has this thing for Davidson, he has for years, only he was having no luck at all with her. So awhile ago I decided to send a letter on his behalf to her to get them hooked up, and…well, I don't know how I got myself into it exactly, but I've been doing it for him ever since." Severus stared at him with a look of utter disbelief.

"Go on," he managed to say evenly.

"Oh, well, somehow, through June I think, who I had been writing to as myself for myself, she found out about it. Ginger thought it was sweet, really, at least that's what she said, and kissed me on the cheek…and that's when Halbert came around the corner. The moment she was gone, he belted me," Andrew confessed. Severus stared at him for a long time before finally rolling his eyes and going over to the bookshelf, grabbing _Cyrano de Bergerac_ off of it and tossing it at him.

"Here, read that," Severus sighed. "But don't neglect your homework to do it."

"Does homework really even matter any more?" Andrew wondered out loud, glancing at the title.

"I don't care if you think you only have an hour to live, while you're in this school, you will keep up with your studies. Feel free to let Halbert borrow that as well," Severus said, and then made a shooing motion with his hand.

"Yes, sir," Andrew sighed, turning towards the door.

"Oh, and Andrew one other thing?" Severus said, his face even more serious than it was before when Andrew stopped to look at him again. "Do me a favor and don't try to use current events to try and take advantage of any situations involving any of the young witches here, because if you do, I swear I will throttle you."

"I would never even think of it, Father!" Andrew said indignantly. Severus stared at him again. "Ok maybe I did think of it," Andrew muttered. "Briefly. Yes, Father," he added before leaving.

Severus looked up the ceiling and shook his head a moment before stepping towards the door and immediately got flattened by the woman coming in. Andrew sniggered from where he stood just beyond, and then wisely decided to get out of sight.

"I'm so sorry, Severus!" Tonks said, blushing furiously as she scrambled to her feet.

"Perhaps it'd just be safer if I stayed down here while you were in the room," Severus mused out loud, but after another round of apologies came back to his feet. "You needed something, Tonks?"

"It's Dumbledore's retaining walls, Severus," Tonks sighed. "I have done all I can to strengthen them, but I'm afraid they're not going to hold much longer. We need to find some way to either drain the water or reinforce them with more walls."

"More walls aren't the answer, Tonks, if the force of the water is able to break even one, it would have a domino effect on the others," Severus said.

"Perhaps then this would be a good time to consider evacuating the school," Tonks suggested. "The students aren't safe here…"

"The students aren't safe anywhere, Tonks, many of their own homes have flooded as well. If the last stand is near here as I believe it will be, then this will be the last place to be destroyed. We may be looking at the remainder of the human race, I'd prefer to keep it around people I can trust."

"I just hope everything holds in the meantime," Tonks said darkly.

* * *

It was early the next morning during the first period classes that the first wall broke.

Jennifer froze in the middle of her lecture as she noticed all of the glass phials and beakers began to shake, turning to stare in terror at the windows behind her as the glass began to crack in a spider-vein pattern.

"Everyone upstairs! Quickly!" Jennifer shouted, running into her office as the students began to hurry out. With Ratfly nestled in one arm and the Cauldron on the other, Jennifer ran out to the stairs just shy of the windows breaking, shouting up and down the halls in case anyone was lingering before racing up the shaking stairs as the water began to pour in. "Over here, away from the stairs!" Jennifer ordered the students and frantically counted heads. Teachers in nearby classrooms including Severus came running out to see what the noise was, screeching to a halt when they saw the water lapping the top of the dungeon stairs.

"Everyone get out?"

"Of my classroom, yes," Jennifer said, "I didn't have time to check any other areas."

"Sally, send some ghosts down there quickly just to be safe…and someone check on Argus," Severus ordered.

Just then, there was a loud scream.

"That sounded like Tonks!" Jennifer said.

"Jennifer, get your students and mine to the Great Hall!" Severus barked as he took off in a run towards Transfiguration. Immediately Jennifer began to organize them, while Severus slid into view of the classroom, his wand out and ready.

Inside, several dozen wet rats had apparently invaded the classroom, scurrying around the floors, disoriented while first years had taken to standing on their seats and Tonks herself was standing on her desk looking quite out of sorts indeed. Severus sighed at the scene and shook his head, gentle tapping his wand and turning them all to doorknobs with a first year Transfiguration Spell.

"Joanie, go fetch a cage out of the Magical Creatures room please. The rest of you began gathering those doorknobs," Severus said, walking up to Tonks questioningly as she climbed off her desk.

"We all have our weaknesses, Severus."

"And you, apparently, have two," Severus said expressionlessly. Tonks grimaced sheepishly. "They were hardly attacking. They simply had nowhere to go. The lower castle has been flooded."

"I knew it! I warned you it wouldn't be long before it began to go…"

"They're staying here, Tonks," Severus said evenly.

"But Severus, if some of the other ones go, it won't be just the dungeons that will be flooding…"

"Professor!"

Severus and Tonks looked up to see Aurora Sinistra standing in the doorway with a paper in hand, looking as if she hadn't slept in days. She skirted warily around the students putting doorknobs in a large cage, resisting the urge to ask.

"Rats," Tonks explained with a shudder. "The dungeon is flooded."

"Mars must be in the house of Aquarius," Aurora decided, handing Severus the paper. "Note the time of this morning's sunrise, Severus."

"Then it's here," Severus said quietly, and Aurora nodded.

"Tonight would be the official winter solstice…a couple months late, of course," Aurora added. Severus looked thoughtfully between them a moment. "So, now what?" she prompted when he didn't say anything.

"Ask Hermione to evacuate all the students to the Great Hall," Severus said. "Have staff secure their areas and meet there or in the staff room as quickly as possible, except for any with duties in the medical wing. Aurora, were you able to get me any coordinates to where you think the maul of Draco would be?"

"I'm not much on land features, Severus, but if my scale is right, it's not far from here…just northwest of one of the oldest parts of the Dark Forest," she said, handing him a rolled map, which he looked at.

"At least it's on a bit higher ground," Severus sighed, watching as Tonks led her class out of the room. "Thank you."

"I only wonder what you're going to do when you get there?" Aurora asked in a low voice.

"Whatever I must," Severus said. "But not until everything is where I want it here. Come on."

"No sleep for me today," Aurora said ruefully, then found herself being handed a dose.

* * *

It took a bit of time to get everyone into the Hall and into place. Games and other distractions were set out on the tables, but none of the students seemed to take even a remote interest in them, especially the Snapes, who privately realized they had probably a better idea of what was going on than most of them, although knew better than to mention it. Tension was already high enough as it was. It was Alex, tired of the prattle at the table, who finally made a move, ignoring the curious looks of Professor Tonks and Professor Sprout who were currently watching over them while the rest of the staff seemed absent; probably in some sort of meeting.

"Come on," she said, nudging Andrew, Zoë, and Zack before going to tug on Alicia's sleeve. "I'm not sitting here waiting for doom to fall with all of us sitting at different tables."

Not quite sure what she had in mind, they still rose and watched as she found an empty spot in front of the tables to sit on the floor. Aurelius quickly went to join them, and his friends, Halbert, and Morfinn all followed, gathering into a small circle together, half expecting the two teachers to say something. But a moment later, after watching them, Shelly and Ted began their own group in another corner, signaling a couple of their Ravenclaw friends over.

"They all just want to be with their friends right now," Pomona said quietly to Tonks. "Can we really blame them?"

"All right! All right! We get the hint!" Tonks shouted as other groups began forming. "Everyone stand up please!" The moment the last student stood, the tables seemed to melt into dust and then reform into extra rugs upon the floor for all of them to sit upon. "Go ahead, seek your own company, but reach out to any not in a group, please! Let's have no stragglers or wall flowers this day!" Alex smiled gratefully at her as everyone readjusted themselves upon the carpet while other groups formed, many of them dragging in some of the more lost looking students. There was not a one group formed that was made of any one house. Even in Eigil's group, Mary Meyers and several of her friends from Hufflepuff and Ralph from Ravenclaw came over to sit with them, for her brother Garret was among them.

A few minutes later, Severus and Jennifer came in, gazing over the chatting students thoughtfully.

"I see you've managed to keep everyone calm," Severus said.

"Your daughter Alex's idea, actually," Pomona admitted with a twinkle in her eye. "Do you suppose it'd be all right if we arranged some sort of bag lunch for them so we need not break them up again?"

"So long as the kitchens don't mind, I hardly care. The main goal right now is to keep them relaxed or preoccupied…" Severus said, pausing when there was a roll of thunder outside. The students had quieted down a moment as well, before timidly starting to talk again. "Which will probably become increasingly difficult as time goes on," he admitted. "However, once the rest of the staff finishes securing their areas, most of them will be in here to assist you. Jennifer will be back in a little while to help as well."

"Not you?" Tonks asked with a frown.

"I have other duties," Severus said evenly. "We will be in the Defense room to secure it, and then I need to go secure the Headmaster's Study." Tonks nodded and watched as they walked away, her thoughts momentarily turning to Albus, still unconscious in the medical wing.

In his office, Jennifer kept unusually quiet as Severus went through his trunk, while she, with the aid of a large bucket she had configured, began to salvage through hers; lifting her Puzzlebox out of her cloak pocket and letting the lake water drip off of it glumly, knowing that the majority of the contents in the chest still in her office was probably destroyed. At least she had been able to save her ancient fruit bat…he hung upon a borrowed owl stand with Dodger, completely exhausted by the ordeal...and she had, of course, saved the Cauldron, although she hardly had the appetite for porridge just now.

Severus took down an astrological clock off the mantle and meticulously reset his pocket watch, studying it quite carefully for several minutes after the fact before finally putting it away.

"I need to head to the study now. I don't suppose you would be willing to finish up for me here?" Severus asked.

"All right, Severus," Jennifer murmured as he finished putting everything on his desk away, leaving only the open appointment book left on it before he began walking for the door. "Wait, Severus!" she said then in a panic, standing up. "Don't just leave me like this…I am going to see you again, before you go after her, aren't I?" Severus paused to gaze at her thoughtfully.

"It would probably just make it worse, Jennifer…"

"I couldn't bear it otherwise, Severus," Jennifer said firmly.

"Meet me on the Perch, at just before four," Severus said quietly. "I'll be leaving shortly after." Gently touching her cheek one more time, Severus left the room. As Jennifer turned around, she heard some light scratching followed by a sudden flurry, so went over to the appointment book. Written upon the open page now was the entry; 4:00 'Meeting with wife', while at 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, 5:00, 5:15, written three times on each line, was the simple phrase, 'Deal with Ciardoth.'"

* * *

Jennifer paced a bit upon the dais of the Great Hall, very restless of the time. Tonks had lit the fireplaces and was passing out marshmallows, while Hermione, Pomona and Sally were all meticulously setting up a buffet along the back wall for later on that night. She glanced at her watch once more as Tonks came up to her, watching her thoughtfully.

"Happy Solstice," Tonks said dryly. "It isn't often one gets two Yules in one year, is it?"

"I suppose in a way it is at that," Jennifer said distantly. Hermione walked up to them then, smiling almost sympathetically.

"Where's Sinistra and Vector? I've not seen either one of them," Tonks asked.

"In the Observatory," Hermione said carefully. "If whatever Severus has in mind works, they want to get word to us as quickly as possible."

"It'll work," Jennifer murmured softly. "Because it has to." Glancing at her watch once more, Jennifer headed towards the Owlery

But Severus had already found his way to the Perch, looking out in the distance, lost in his own thoughts.

"_Obumbrata et velata michi quoque niteris; nunc per ludum dorsum nudum fero tui sceleris_," he murmured to himself softly, the words of a song ringing true in his ears.

"Severus?" Jennifer said, and he moved his head just enough to see her coming up beside him.

"I don't have long, Jennifer, but I am here," Severus said, accepting her arm and holding on fast to her hand before he glanced up at the castle. "It's a mess, isn't it, Hogwarts."

"Still standing proud despite everything that has been thrown at it," Jennifer protested. "You know, it wasn't until after I met you that I truly saw this castle as my real home," he said quietly. "But somehow in the course of our years together, I'm not sure exactly when, it has turned into so much more than that, although I don't know that I can turn it into words. An extension of our family, perhaps…inclusive of everyone in it, no matter how annoying some of them might be at times," Severus said, Jennifer smiling slightly at that.

"I can't allow it to end, Jennifer, no matter the cost, and it is something I must do alone. Even though Hermione is technically in charge, to me I feel much more hope for its survival with you here, watching over things, knowing as I do what truly is at stake. Promise me you'll stay this time, Jennifer, stay and look after our children."

"All a thousand of them," Jennifer murmured softly. Severus nodded, putting an arm around her.

"Yes, all a thousand of them," he agreed. "And no matter what happens, I want you to understand that nothing, not even death can truly breach my love for you, this school, and everyone in it." Jennifer felt her throat tighten but managed to nod again, having choking back tears as he kissed her. "You'd best return to the Great Hall now. And stay there, until it's over. Promise."

"I promise," Jennifer said quietly. With one last nod, Severus pulled her chin up so she could study his face one last time and then turned swiftly around, dashing down the stairs before either of their emotions could further betray them. Feeling as if someone had a fist around her heart, Jennifer stood there numb for a moment, attempting to push back the fear inside her. Suddenly her face grew alert and she herself dashed down the stairs, running so hard she felt like her heart would burst to the Great Hall. She flung the back door open with such force that everyone looked up at her in surprise.

"Get up," she ordered them, ignoring Hermione's query. "Come, on! Everyone on your feet! We're going to sing Hogwarts Forever, as loud as we can! _Fortissimo!_" she cast, swirling the spell around the room before using her wand to keep the time and spit out the words.

Surprised by the command but jumping to their feet, all the students sang out where they stood, a myriad of song clashing together in perfect disharmony as they bellowed out the words. When it ended, she made them sing it again, and even a third time, until all of them were hoarse and weary, but somehow feeling much better and more united with every note. In the distance, Severus listened to the voices as he walked away from the grounds towards the mountains, and the strange beautiful melody rang true in his ears. While in the medical wing, Poppy, who had been reaching for a pair of earmuffs, suddenly stopped short when she realized with a start that Albus Dumbledore was humming in his sleep.

* * *

Lightning crackled in every direction, but Severus Snape paid it no more mind than the rain pelting him; a dryness charm keeping him from becoming soaked to the bone as he climbed slippery rocks above the waterlogged forest. It was just beyond the midnight trees where once a colony of spiders once lived; where once an army of Harpies nearly took his wife and unborn son. Unicorns now lingered within that dreary place, seeking sanctuary from the flooded glens. It was after he got back upon regular ground that he saw a strange bluish light in the distance. Now, it seemed, it was time…time to set up his plan. Time to risk it all. Time to challenge Time itself.

Pulling out a chain from under his collar, Severus sat it down upon a rock. Then, Severus Snape went to face his fate…by choice.

On the hilltop that once might have overlooked the lands of the Bansidhe, a large portal stood, so bright that it was quite visible in the poorest of light. As he grew nearer, he saw the tall vision of Ciardoth standing before it with her hands raised, gazing into what looked like a swirling vortex within the portal itself. The clouds in the sky just above the portal parted showing the purpling sky of late sunset, and as the first of the stars and the enormous red moon began to show, Severus knew they looked much closer than they should be…much closer than possible…Time was truly beginning to fail. Boldly Severus stepped out of the thick brush around the base of the hill and up onto the mound, wand in hand and resolution in his eyes.

"Ciardoth!" Severus shouted.

Ciardoth turned around, her red lips immediately brightening and her hands clapping like a child.

"At last! At last! The end is near!" she said, not hiding the pure thrill and elation and her voice. "Have you come to try to stop me? It will cost you your life, you know."

"As it will cost you yours," Severus said evenly.

"Death has always been the goal, Severus! Death and destruction of everyone who has opposed me, in my own universe and in this one!" Ciardoth said. "But watching you die, you who seem to truly put value on it, will be something I very much relish."

"So be it," Severus said evenly, taking a defensive stance. "But I shall take you with me, and your ultimate goal of destruction will fail."

"What? And you plan to do it with that thing?" Ciardoth said with amusement, pointing at his wand.

"I plan to do it in whatever way is necessary," Severus said.

"So be it," Ciardoth said mockingly back and raised her hands as a barrage of ball lightning suddenly appeared. Immediately, Severus found himself in a position to have to take cover, dodging left and right as they came in with Ciardoth's laughter in his ears. But the heat and electricity spread out over him, and even with the protection of his cloak, Severus felt a sensation of burning and numbness on his face and hands.

"You fool, you cannot escape!" she laughed again. "Accept your fate! Even the elements are against you!"

But Severus finally rolled back to his feet with the grace of the cat, and the Shrieking Death was launched out of his wand, resonating with all the power he could muster. At first she seemed to hold her ears in pain, but then her figure began to change, growing more and more massive as her dragon form came into view. Quickly Severus pulled up his hood and hit the deck as the blast came, dropping his wand in the process as he pulled his legs and feet under himself to keep his entire body under the cloak.

The moment the flames passed, Ciardoth reached out with one claw and grabbed hold of his wand, tossing it in her mouth and snapping it between her teeth as Severus finally pulled himself back to one knee.

"So much for your pathetic little stick," Ciardoth roared. "And so much for your pathetic little life. Night is now imminent, Severus. Within a few short minutes all you have ever cared about will be gone."

"It's not over yet, Ciardoth!" Severus shouted, getting to his feet. "I don't need a wand to defeat you."

"Well, isn't that quaint! Then try to get out of this!" she roared, standing on her haunches with her wings spread. Just as she was changing back into her Fae form, a sheet of ice and snow colder than Severus had ever known pushed on him, intent on freezing him solid. So this…he thought, his mind racing so fast that time seemed to slow as she tried to encompass him. So this is what Fawkes went through…immediately Severus put his hands out and concentrated as hard as he could to melt it before it reached him, knowing any other defense would come too late to save himself. Just when he thought he was done for, a wave of power surged through him and pushed outwards from his body, the ice turning into cold steam just inches away from his frostbit hands.

"So, you can defend yourself, after all…but it is of no use now!" she laughed at him. Severus' eyes immediately darted to the pulsating portal, realizing quite suddenly that the area around it was very literally beginning to warp. Darkness was beginning to fall at an incredible rate, while everything seemed to be standing still as Time came a few slow seconds away from running its course.

But Severus knew he now had an avenue open to him like none other…an avenue that once it ripped through him would certainly would drain his body completely, perhaps his very soul. But within him still was a tiny point…a flicker…a light of dim calm…and to that he focused and pulled, and to that he fed within it the last twenty years of his life…everything he fought for…everything he lived for…everything that he had to sacrifice himself for as he formed an Ultimate Wish…a Wish to turn all the power she now commanded against her.

"You are right, Ciardoth! It is time! But time is not on your side!" Severus shouted. "It is on mine!" he declared, feeling the power of the Wish suddenly unleash from his body and towards her, a cloud of darkness beginning to form around her as dense as Time had become in Otherworld…as black as the night and despair that she had forced upon theirs. Even as she retaliated with lightning he wasn't prepared to dodge…couldn't dodge if he were to maintain what he had started…Severus Snape called on every reserve he had to push the Wish farther into her, his mental eye seeing with satisfaction that the portal behind her and everything trapped within it was beginning to magnate towards her, and even the stars above seemed to be releasing a power as Time began to tense up like a tightening rubber band with her in the middle.

But then, Severus felt himself waning, his spirit edging, his power spent, and even as he knew she would soon be at an end, another round of lightning hit him and his life force gave completely out. But even as Ciardoth dared to take one final breath of elation, a scream took its place. The two streams of Time which Severus had so carefully wrapped around her also came ripping apart with his demise, and Ciardoth, caught between them, snapped with the band in two, her life and magic severed in half.

Suddenly, the rain stopped.

* * *

In the Great Hall, Jennifer stood with her arms folded in front of her in stony silence as the other teachers organized lines of students to the buffet to get food and started some reading activities and games to try to settle themselves. The thunder was non-stop…it grew louder and louder with every passing moment until nothing else could be heard while the staff tried desperately to get the students to put it out of their minds. Hermione Weasley stood next to Jennifer, missing her husband so badly she ached…but she knew that as bad as what she was going through, what Jennifer was going through was much worse. But as they stood there, watching the children still sitting in their small groups as if nothing at all was happening outside, the thunder began to slowly wane, and Hermione found herself straining her ears to hear as it softened even more.

Suddenly she heard something quite different…almost like the sound of shattered glass.

"What was that?" Hermione asked, not really meaning to say it out loud.

"It was the sound of my heart breaking," Jennifer said slowly, gazing down at her Dragonheart diamond with such a meaningful look and such glassy eyes that Hermione felt her own skip a beat and sheer stunned grief pass over her.

It was then that Hermione noticed how quiet it was. Apparently so had everyone else, for every student and teacher in the room was listening carefully to hear any sounds coming from outside. "Half a moment!" Morfinn said, everyone jumping a bit as he got to his feet and went over to the window. "It's not raining! I swear, it's not raining!"

"It's not raining!" everyone repeated, and began running to the nearest window. Ted Gaffney then ran to the back to one of the windows that opened, and then began to laugh in sheer elation.

"Not only is it not raining, it's snowing!" Ted shouted over the crowd.

"It's snowing!" Everyone repeated, and then suddenly started cheering loudly until Sinistra and Vector ran in.

"Jennifer!" Aurora shouted. "Hermione! It's over! The clouds broke! I think she's gone!" "Yes. That's great," Hermione said hollowly, giving her a wan smile. "Well don't get all excited about it!" Aurora said to the two of them with surprise, but Jennifer still stood with her arms crossed, looking quite lost.

"Jennifer, for a moment there, I must admit this whole situation had me quite worried," Professor Vector said. "That husband of yours is destined for the history books this time, no doubt about it."

"The greatest wizard alive, I'd say," Aurora agreed wholeheartedly.

"Yes, yes he was," Jennifer said quietly. "Excuse me, since the crisis is over, I think I need a moment alone." Aurora and Vector stared at her puzzled, while Hermione had a hard time keeping her eyes dry. But they were not the only ones in the room that had noticed. While the rest of his siblings celebrated, Aurelius watched his mother leave the room with a very serious expression on his face.

"Goodness! Are you all having a party without me?" said a familiar voice. All the students turned from the windows with their eyes wide as Albus Dumbledore stood under the main doors, smiling at their gaping faces. "Your singing earlier woke me! I was so very glad to hear all of you! I would have been down sooner, but Madame Pomfrey was making such a fuss!" he said, smiling behind him at Poppy, still hovering close behind him.

"Professor…" Alicia said, pushing her way through the crowd with tears in her eyes. "Professor I…"

"No, no," he said quickly, putting a finger to her lips. "Not another word, Alicia. My reward is that you're here and safe. Think nothing of it," he smiled, putting an arm around her shoulder as he walked further into the room.

"It's a miracle, that's what it is," Pomona said, tears in her eyes. "A true and honest miracle, no mistake about that!"

"Yes it is," Hermione sighed. "And yet here I am wishing for one more."


	33. Present Perfected

Chapter Thirty-Three

Present Perfected

It wasn't until Jennifer stumbled into Severus' Office that she allowed the tears to fall, touching the walls and books with her fingers and petting Rasputin despite the fact that she was trembling. She offered him a mouse, not even wincing when he began to crunch it and then stood back up and stared at the appointment book on the desk. It took nearly all her strength to close it. Then she sat down, gazing at his room with an empty heart, her eyes falling up upon her picture to see the portrait of Snape, whose frame was right now underwater, had taken refuge there, and the two of them stood facing her but with their arms wrapped around each other.

"I can't believe how much I miss you all ready," Jennifer murmured, having trouble mouthing the words through her tears and tightening throat. "I can't really even believe you're gone. How can I learn to manage without you? How can the school learn to manage without you? I know it may be hard to believe, but even if I can learn the first, I don't think the school will ever be able to manage the second. And what am I going to tell the children?" she asked, leaning her head against the desk.

Just then there was a knock, and Jennifer looked up to see Aurelius walk in, closing it quietly behind him.

"I hope you don't mind," Aurelius said, a bit shaky. "I know how you must feel, but you really oughtn't to be alone right now."

"You know, don't you?" Jennifer said quietly. Aurelius nodded.

"None of the others do at the moment, of course. They're too elated about Dumbledore being all right. Professor Weasley said it was all right if I came to check on you…"

"Dumbledore is all right?" Jennifer said with surprise.

"That's right, you left before he came in, didn't you?" Aurelius remembered, sitting down. "He says the singing woke him up. I think he must have used the sound of our voices to guide himself back to his body. Brilliant idea, that."

"I was only doing it so that Severus knew we supported him," Jennifer said, feeling herself tear up again.

"I know," Aurelius said. "And, I guess what's more important, Father knew." Jennifer nodded gently. "This really is the way he wanted it." But Jennifer frowned then, shaking her head and looking at the picture.

"He wanted us to live, yes…and yet…he knew he would be able to always save us somehow," Jennifer murmured, watching them. "But he wanted to live too…for himself…very much so," she said, her voice wavering a bit. "I know he did."

"Yes, but he didn't think twice about giving that up for us, and as much as it hurts right now, we have to respect that," Aurelius said gently. "Somehow, we'll live on, and get along all right. Tell her, Father," he said, talking to the painting. "Tell her we'll get on okay, she'll listen to you." But Aurelius paused puzzledly when the painting merely nodded in agreement.

"Now, Aurelius, you know that those paintings don't talk," Jennifer sighed at him.

"Wait a minute…something's not right," Aurelius said. "Mute Oil only works as long as the person in the portrait is alive. Didn't Father tell you that? Why is he still mute?"

"He did tell me that," Jennifer realized with alarm, standing up to stare at it. But the painting of Snape appeared to be staring at something else outside the frame, looking down. Then he took the portrait of Jennifer's hand and held up her left hand.

"What do you suppose he's doing?" Aurelius asked. But Jennifer's eyes flicked directly to her ring and then raised up her own hand to look at it. Then her eyes widened in sheer surprise and disbelief, her heart leaping in her chest as she watched the cracks that had appeared upon the diamond suddenly began to get smaller and smaller until they disappeared altogether.

"What does this mean?" Jennifer asked in such fear of believing that she was seeing that her tone frightened Aurelius. "How could it possibly be?" Diving for her cloak, Jennifer pulled out her watch, completely soaked with water. "Please work, please work, oh please, please work," she said over and over again.

"I don't think it was waterproofed…"

"Even if the clock itself stopped, the hands work until the person dies, and if that's so, it should be stuck on 'Mortal Peril,'" Jennifer explained quickly, clearing off the glass of the watch in attempt to see that hands. "It's on Elsewhere! Great stars, it's on Elsewhere!" Jennifer shrieked. Suddenly the two of them looked up as the appointment book suddenly fell open and a quill put in another entry. The two of them ran over, staring at the new entry; _Attempted Rescue by Wife._ "He is still alive! I don't know how, but he is!" Jennifer said, then turned to run out of the room. Just as she was coming out of the room, she nearly ran quite literally into Albus Dumbledore who gazed at her with raised eyebrows. "I'm so sorry! But he's alive! Severus is alive!"

"Well, I should hope so," Albus said calmly. "I would hate to think of what this school would do without him."

"I have to go find him right away!" Jennifer said and ran out of the room, Aurelius staring in the direction she went in stunned silence.

"Well! It doesn't take long for things to bounce back around here, does it?" Albus said casually.

It all began at precisely ten minutes before the death of Severus Snape…at least…one of the other Severus Snapes. The third one…or actually now the first one, Severus mused as he looked at his watch, picked up the Time Turner that the second Snape had tossed down before the battle and put it back around his neck and under his collar…because this time around…the second time around…he was not going to use it. Yes, there had been all of three Snapes under that hill for most of it; sometimes there was only two; but never, since he stepped foot in the area, was there only just one. The third ran a bit of interference to make sure the other two could act independently, and ultimately, prove or disprove a paradox theory…that the Present was not dependant on the unchangeable Past and the changeable future. The proof of that theory was yet unknown to him. He only knew that his other self…one of two later selves he had brought into being by going back into a time he knew another Snape would be present…was even now getting ready to battle the most powerful force he had ever faced. And as the other Snape's job was to use the Time Turner to make sure this version of himself existed, this version then had, in some ways, the most perilous job of all; to wait past the time when the one fighting Ciardoth was first created by the Time Turner, and to wait past his death…to see if he would live, die, or perhaps even lose the entire battle if the Severus fighting her disappears.

The brush parted on that side of the hill giving him a good view, and upon it he sat, wondering what he was doing, wondering if the other Severus was going to follow the plan, wondering if he was going to survive at all. Suddenly he heard something behind him, and at first he thought it was another version of himself, for who else would be out there at that very moment. But Severus' eyes fixed in the darkness to see a man with a beard and knew it wasn't even close to being himself at all.

"What are you doing here, Merlin?"

"Taking a walk," he said casually. "You?"

"I'm waiting to see if I'm going to die," Severus said curtly, turning back around.

"Ah! Merlin said brightly. "Mind if I join you, then? It sounds quite exciting, and this is a perfect spot. I do love front row seats in this sort of event you know," he explained, earning a very sour look from Severus. "Besides, one doesn't want to be alone when one dies, after all. Nice to have a friend or relative around, even one you don't particularly care for that much."

Severus immediately forgave him his brashness after that, as he watched the sky fill up with ball lightning, his jaw dropping at the thought of what his other self must be going through. Merlin, for his part, sat quiet and extremely somber, watching the battle with a very critical eye, shaking his head every now and again, sometimes at something Ciardoth done, and sometimes at Severus.

But Severus himself was having a very wrenching moment…his forehead covered with sweat as he witnessed the severe scarring and damage Ciardoth did to him as the battle went on, and a chill went through him every single time that Severus attempted to fight back. How could he do this? How could he even hope to survive this? Severus panicked, knowing for certain now that the version of himself on the hill was in trouble. But at a critical point in the battle, Merlin put his hand on the shoulder as if bracing them both for the worst as the Severus on the hill fell to the ground…seconds later, they both watched as Ciardoth was torn apart, leaving nothing…nothing at all…in her wake.

Severus sat and stared at where he imagined his corpse fell, wondering if it was even there…or if it even mattered. Beside him, Merlin merely let out a deep heartfelt sigh as the two of them continued to stare out at the hill until long after.

"So, it would appear that you are still here then," Merlin said quietly.

"Yes," Severus said thoughtfully.

"And it would appear that Ciara is still destroyed," he went on in the same tone.

"So it would appear," Severus agreed.

"Then I suppose you must have won," Merlin said somberly, gazing up at the soft snowflakes floating down.

"And you have lost a daughter," Severus said quietly. Merlin didn't answer at first, still staring up at the sky.

"So you figured that out, then, did you?" Merlin said at last.

"Viviane is nearly as tall as she is, and has very similar features…and there was the curse of Time as well," Severus said in a low voice. "I had long suspected, but seeing the three of you on the island when you helped me save Anna…"

"Of course," Merlin said softly. "I suppose in this world there are hundreds of stories about oh…star-crossed lovers and original sin…well. When the world was young and I was even younger but still a powerful Enchanter in my own right, I allowed myself to be seduced by a young woman who simply did so to persuade me to teach her my powers, not knowing that every woman I touched…well, let's just say I have a lot of offspring. It is something we should have never done and we knew from the beginning it would not bode well. I…I must admit, wanted to be rid of her before she was born and tried to persuade Viviane to give her up, but she would have none of it and fled the world to be rid of my pestering. It was a mistake…another mistake nearly as horrible as the one that happened when Lorcan opened that gate. Sensing her mother's presence, Ciardoth, already on the road to insanity, became curious and came here. I didn't find out about what had occurred until much later."

"And that is why you came back as Toby," Severus said.

"I knew your universe would be in trouble and consequently ours…so much had been forgotten of the Ancient Magic necessary to put her in her place, I knew that from my first visit. I couldn't allow it to happen…but neither could I forgive myself, no matter the crime, to kill my own daughter."

"And for that you intentionally led me to help me do it for you," Severus said, biting back sudden anger.

"Would you have been able to do it, Severus? To kill one of your daughters gone astray?" Merlin asked quietly. Severus thought about it for a long time before his shoulders slumped.

"Probably not," he admitted, Merlin nodding solemnly.

"And now, because of our mistake, the world, and even I, truly, owe you a great debt."

"I don't want anyone to owe me, Merlin," Severus sighed. "I simply want to know if this truly is over and I'm not going to disappear or otherwise die on my way back to the school."

"Well! I suppose you don't know when you're going to die, now, do you?" Merlin said almost cheerfully, patting his shoulder once before standing up. "Sounds like a blessing in disguise after what you've just gone through, dear boy."

"You're right," Severus realized once he thought about it. "So it is."

Just then, Severus heard a frantic voice calling out his name from somewhere to his left, and he felt a sudden elation when he realized it was Jennifer's voice.

"Quick, man! Don't just sit there!" Merlin hissed. "By my lady, find that girl before she sees your corpse! Go distract her, I'll clean things up here."

"Wait…now that it's over, will you be leaving?"

"Never mind that! You'll see me again, never fear, just go now, for heaven's sake, go!" Merlin ordered, pushing him forward.

"Jennifer!" Severus called out and ran out of the brush, looking around to see she had already started up the hill. "Jennifer!" he called out again making her pause and look around.

"Severus?" she said unsurely, then spotted him walking around the base of the hill and took of in a run. "Severus!" she said, half crying half laughing as she reached him and hugged him so tight he could barely breathe.

"Worried, were you?" he said in a low voice, kissing her gently.

"Worried! You have no idea what you just put me through," she said, still crying despite the fact he kept attempting to brush her tears away. "The Diamond broke! I thought you were lost to me forever, and yet here you are without a single scratch on you!" she said, her surprised tone turning almost scolding.

"Yes, I know, I'm still marveling that fact myself," Severus mused, putting an arm around her and walking her away from the hill. "Come, Jennifer, let's get you out of this cold night air. I hardly went through all of this just so you can catch your death of cold."

"So it is over then? Ciardoth is gone?" Jennifer asked quietly.

"Oh, yes, it's over," Severus said, and then mused. "Now, what am I going to get involved in next, I wonder?"

"Oh, Severus, honestly!" Jennifer protested as they walked back towards Hogwarts, still arm in arm.


	34. The Headmaster

Chapter Thirty-Four

The Headmaster's Finest Hour

Severus and Jennifer waited anxiously by the door of Hermione's office…both having better things to do, but neither feeling much inclined to do them. Outside, a very short winter had bloomed full force into spring as water-loving plants greedily took over the countryside and Forest, despite the fact it hadn't rained in several weeks…odd weather, many of the Muggles papers said, but not as odd to Jennifer as the fact that once the planet settled into its normal orbit again, the Muggles seemed to promptly forget all about it being irregular in the first place.

But the Wizard world had not forgotten…not by even a long shot…and Severus Snape found himself suffering the annoyance of now being the most famous wizard on the planet, bumping poor Dumbledore (who didn't seem to mind it one wit) down to second place. And much to Severus' dismay, so many photos were being taken of him now that he no longer could avoid them, and even he had to admit to Jennifer that he could do with a new bit of wardrobe after things settled down after a much closer than comfort close-up of him revealed an irregular hem on the shoulder of his robes left from a moment when he decided to try and patch it himself.

Now, however, there were more impertinent matters to think about, and a door that stubbornly seemed to want to stay shut. Finally it opened, and the two intently watched to see Andrew walk out with rather wide smile on his face. But he spoke not a word to either of them…he merely turned down the corridor and began humming, leaving the two of them frowning after him. A moment later, Hermione came out, with an enigmatic smile of her own on her face.

"Well?" Severus asked impatiently.

"Teacher," Hermione smiled. "He wants to be a teacher."

Jennifer's shouts of joy were so loud they rang through nearly every hall in that wing as she hugged her husband excitedly. Severus looked a tad stunned but obviously rather pleased despite maintaining his own composure. As Hermione slipped back inside, still smiling, Severus risked a quick kiss, unaware that Albus had been attracted by the shouting and was walking down the corridor behind them. When Albus cleared his throat, however, Severus quickly backed up sheepishly.

"Well? What's all the excitement about?" he asked curiously.

"Andrew wants to be a teacher!" Jennifer said, beaming with pride.

"Well, of course! Was there really any doubt of that?" Albus smiled enigmatically, then began to walk on. "As if any child with the audacity to be conceived under the professor's table in the Great Hall could possibly become anything else," he said added daringly, the mischievous change in his smile lost on the two stunned parents who gaped at him as he continued down the hall. Jennifer turned and hit Severus.

"That's it. No more 'cloaking' adventures," Jennifer swore.

"As if I were the only one there," he said in her ear as they returned to their classrooms.

The next few months were glorious ones for everyone. Alicia, although still very stiff around her father, seemed to start acting like her own self again once Quidditch season started, and nearly all of her birthday presents in April was equipment. The more time passed, the more anxious Alex became about the end of her year and her future life beyond it, but still put in the extra work to try and bring her NEWTS at a level even her parents would accept. Aurelius got busy with his House agenda of bringing up the entire score average, and everyone in Slytherin were working together to work with him…for a change. Halbert and Andrew were now fast friends again…they had both given up on Ginger, deciding once and for all that their friendship was more important…or at least, until next year.

It was just before the very last school, as Andrew was studying for the very last of his finals just before lunch that Albus Dumbledore happened to wander into the library, his searching eyes fixing on Andrew before breaking into a warm smile. Andrew watched with open curiosity as he came closer then gestured to him.

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor, Andrew," Albus smiled.

"Sure," Andrew said curiously.

"Do you recall that secret I told you about quite some years ago for the Pact?" Albus asked quietly. Andrew nodded. "Good! Now…this is a situation where timing is everything. A half an hour after lunch starts, I need you to go to your mother's office and tell her the secret."

"Tell her?" Andrew said in surprise and Albus nodded with a wink.

"Half an hour. And not a moment before."

"All right," Andrew said.

"Thank you," Albus said with an enigmatic smile before he turned to walk back to his office. Andrew couldn't help but stare after him. Even after all these years, he really didn't know what the old wizard was up to.

Albus Dumbledore met Severus at the door instead of waving them open, his warm smile so suspicious that Severus couldn't help but be a little suspicious.

"Come, Severus, sit down, relax," Albus insisted, pulling his candy dish out of a drawer. "Care for a sherbet?"

"Thank you, no," Severus said.

"I believe there's licorice in there as well… in fact it takes up most of the bottom," Albus chuckled, and Severus sighed, taking a piece but merely holding it. "I hear that your papers, both the one on the Flux Effect and the new one on time Paradoxes, A Theory…of course," he said with a wink, knowing that one was more than a theory, "they met with quite a bit of acclaim."

"Yes, however, I question how much of that was actually do to the merits of the material," Severus said evenly. "I suspect it has more to do with this rather annoying public spotlight I've been in the last few months."

"Well, that's also possible," Albus agreed with a smile. "And it's wise to remember that public support does tend to come an go, although I seriously doubt, Severus, that anyone is going to be forgetting about this one for a great many years."

"To be perfectly honest, I wasn't really concerned about it."

"I know you weren't, Severus. But I must say, there have been times recently I have been worried about your reputation…of course, all of that is over now," he said contentedly. Severus squinted at him.

"Why would you be?" Severus asked.

"Yes, I suppose I am getting ahead of myself. Severus, do you recall a few months ago when this business was over with and you apologized to me for avoiding me?" Albus said. Severus nodded. "Yes, well, I think now it's time that I apologize for all the times I have avoided you over the last few years…and not only that, but everything I intentionally avoided sticking my nose into because yours was already there. You…came to rely on me too much, over the years, Severus, and I know much of that is due to our history together when you were growing up, but it was something I knew I wouldn't be able to continue for very long. You see, Severus," he said, folding his fingers together, "this happens to be my last year at Hogwarts."

"What?" Severus said in alarm. "You can't be serious!"

"Quite serious, Severus," Albus said evenly.

"Just like that? Without any warning at all? Two days before we go home and you are just now deciding to quit?"

"Retire, Severus, hardly quit," Albus protested. "It's time the school moved on with someone new, and it's not as if it can't get along without me."

"Of course it can't!"

"Of course it _can_, Severus," Albus said firmly. "The school survived ten entire months without me a few years, back…well, perhaps not as well as I would have liked, but it did. And from what I understand it survived very well while I was laid up in a hospital bed…"

"That was hardly for very long…"

"That depends on how you look at it, Severus. Long as in time, perhaps, but it was also a very crucial time for the school and many crucial decisions had to be made, and they were done without me," Albus said. "You know, I love this school, Severus, I always have and always will. And because of that, I must do what is best for the school whether it includes me in it or not. From what you've told me, you have been in such positions yourself from time to time." Severus nodded slowly. "Well, there you are," Albus said, glancing at the clock. "And although I know I have been keeping it a secret from all of you, you may be interested to know that the board has known about this for quite some time, and has been looking into the possibility of a rep…."

"Quite some time? How long is quite some time?"

"Well over a year, actually," Albus admitted.

"And you are just now getting around to telling me?" Severus stood, obviously hurt.

"Severus, you have been quite busy lately. And…as you have admitted before…you had been avoiding me…"

"You could have told me months before that!"

"I suppose I could have," Albus agreed. "But I didn't think it was in your best interests to know. In fact, it's worked out a great deal better that you didn't know."

"How can you possibly believe that?" Severus said.

But at that moment they were abruptly interrupted.

For just a few short minutes before, Andrew Snape had knocked on Jennifer's door to find her wistfully looking up at the painting of Severus instead of marking finals as she was supposed to be.

"What is it Andrew? I'm really rather busy," Jennifer said when he peeked in.

"I have something to tell you is all," Andrew said. "And I'm afraid it can't wait. You see, Dumbledore…that is, I've been keeping this secret for him, and he gave me permission to tell you," Andrew explained. "Not that I've ever quite understood why it was a secret, really, but it seemed like he wanted you know about it, all the same.

"All right Andrew," Jennifer chuckled, putting her quill down in resignation. "What is it?"

"Just his age," Andrew shrugged. "He's seven hundred and eighty-six."

Jennifer stared at him a moment. Then all the sudden the color drained out of her face, followed by her eyes widening and a hand on her forehead.

"Goodness gracious! Do you know what that means?" Jennifer said, getting up.

"Not really," Andrew said, watching her strange reaction curiously. Immediately she excused herself and ran out of the room, dashing up the front stairs. Cooperatively they didn't change as she took them by twos up to the fifteenth floor and burst into the office where Severus was standing looking particularly out of sorts.

He turned with surprise when he saw her enter and she became scouring the room with a strangely excited look on her face.

"Jennifer, what are you doing?" Severus said.

"It's here! Severus, it's been here the whole time! I can't believe it! I can't believe we didn't see it before!" Jennifer said excitedly, while Albus merely smiled at her. It was then that her eyes fell upon the smoky glass candy dish and approached the desk. Nervously she looked up at Albus and he nodded. So she gingerly picked up the dish, dumping its contents out before sitting in the chair, cradling it in her hands.

"Jennifer? Dare I ask?" Severus said, gazing at her puzzledly.

"Severus, do you realize how many times this candy dish has saved my life?" Jennifer laughed incredulously. "How many times it's saved you? How many times we've looked at it without a single clue he still had it? Glen Witolf…it was him, wasn't it?"

"Yes, yes it was," Albus said quietly.

"I had long suspected it was him," Jennifer admitted, but shook her head. "But I never expected to be holding this."

"Jennifer, I don't know what's going on here, but I admit I am completely in the dark about what you are talking about," Severus said.

"I know," Jennifer said, giggling. "I suspect then I get to unravel a mystery for you for a change…a mystery I swear I have been trying to figure out for simply years without knowing it!"

"Fine. Then enlighten me," he said testily, surprised when she placed it in his hands.

"My dear husband," she said with an amused smile. "I want you to now realize exactly what you are holding in your hands, for you are holding none other than the Philosopher's Stone itself." Severus nearly dropped it.

"Impossible," Severus said, but even as he said it darted an unsure look towards Albus who merely smiled wider.

"No, no, no, think about it, Severus!" Jennifer insisted. "Don't you remember when the whole diamond incident came about and Dumbledore changed it to a ring? He and Minerva had been doing extensive experiments on how to change stones into different shapes for simply ages, and why? To try to hide the stone! And they succeeded! Dumbledore never destroyed the stone, he merely put it in a form that Voldemort wouldn't guess in a million years! I think he might have told Nicholas it was destroyed," Jennifer said, and Albus somberly nodded, "but I do think for the most part he stopped taking the Elixir himself after that so everyone wouldn't get too suspicious, but he has given it to others in an emergency."

"That I knew," Severus said, then turned to Dumbledore, gingerly putting the dish back down. "He told me he had a limited storage of it, as a matter of fact, and I had just assumed he was just using that."

"You knew he had used it on me?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes, although he asked me to keep it quiet so no one would suspect that he had a stash. I see now he was protecting more than that," Severus scowled.

"He was probably also a bit afraid I would figure it out," Jennifer grinned.

"Perhaps a bit," Dumbledore smiled softly. "Of course, you must realize, Jennifer, that although the Elixir does slow physical aging down dramatically, it doesn't stop it completely. Oh, you may age a day for every few months or so, but you will still age eventually, which is why Nicholas, who was already getting on when we discovered it, became as wizened as he did."

"Glen Witolf," Severus nodded. "Yes, that would make sense, now that I think about it."

"Yes, well, I've decided I rather like the way I am now, so I have decided once I'm finished here, that I take up Merlin's offer to go retire with him in the Otherworld…perhaps even peek in every now and again to see how things are going with the next Headmaster to take over this place…whom, of course, will also inherit the Stone and the recipe…a Headmaster, after all, has enough to worry about without the business of aging…goals are so very long term with a school like this, it really does take a good hundred years or so to really make the job feel like it's yours…every Headmaster is a hard act to follow, you know," Albus said with amusement. "But I think…I think I feel quite good about leaving now, and I am certain that the new Headmaster, and his wife, for that matter, will make some use out of this candy dish," he said with a mischievous twinkle while Jennifer had a hard time keeping her jaw closed. "Although personally, I'm really not a licorice fan myself," he said, filling the dish completely up with them and sticking the sherbets in his pockets.

Severus decided that perhaps now would be a good time to sit back down.

"It's going to be rough for you these next three years, Severus, with three of your children in school. I'm afraid until they are out, your time will be very limited, but I just really don't think I could have waited," Albus said gently, Severus still looking quite stunned, but Jennifer was nodding. "However, you will have Hermione to help you…she's known about this for some time too…in fact, she was helping me advise the board and find out what sort of things they might be looking for in your file, recent papers, contributions, and the like."

"So that's why you made me deal with the board so much this year, and all that business with the papers?" Severus stared at him.

"Guilty," Albus smiled. "Very guilty. Caprica Dusthorn will be helping you too…she's been at my side all year absorbing as much information I could give her about little details I may have missed putting in my journal…and she'll teach you some of the finer points of the paintings in here as well," he added, winking at Caprica, who winked back. "And of course, there's the business of finding a new Defense teacher…"

"Wait, I cannot teach?" Severus said, his stunned expression turning to one of alarm. "I don't want to stop teaching."

"Goodness, Severus, you really don't think I teach?" Albus chuckled at him. "If you agree to take this position, Severus, you'll be doing more teaching than ever…and more important, greater teaching than you have before. The entire direction of what will be taught in the whole school will also be in your grasp…well, with a little wheeling and dealing of the board, which I spent the year teaching you how to do. Please don't let the idea of not having regular class dissuade you from this. I need you, Severus, and more important, the school needs you," Albus said gently, Severus falling into stunned silence again. "I expect you'll have the sense to keep the Transfiguration teachers open to one year applicants only, because I have this rather strange suspicion that in two or three years from now, there's going to be a new teacher that I think would be an absolute smash in the subject. And, of course, you are going to have to find a very solid person to sit at your left, Severus; for as invaluable as Hermione will be to you keeping you from having to deal with trivial paperwork and keeping nosy and whiny parents from interrupting your work night and day, you are also going to need a good security officer. And if I were you, I'd look for someone you would never have to doubt their loyalty, who's not afraid to argue a point, who you trust with your life, and more importantly, who you would trust with this school in your absence."

"Then there's hardly any question who that should be, is there?" Severus said expressionlessly gazing at his wife.

"I didn't think there would be," Albus smiled. "Oh, and one more thing, Severus, or should I say, Headmaster Snape," he added mischievously. "About those robes of yours…"

Green and silver decorated the halls once more during the End of the Year Feast as everyone gathered to sit down. There was a strange excitement in the air…some of it caused by the idea of the summer ahead…some of it about the thought of graduating…some of it because Alex had taken the liberty to pass out wedding invitations early, despite her mother frowning at her. And some of the excitement might have been because of spreading rumors that the faculty of Hogwarts had been having an unusual amount of closed door meetings for that time of year. Albus didn't move to take his normal seat. Instead he stood in front of them on the dais, while behind him the rest of the teachers filed in, all in their best robes.

"Where's your Father at?" Heph whispered to Aurelius, who shrugged in response as Dumbledore called them to order.

"Well!" Albus said, allowing himself a moment to just take a breath. "Did I, or did I not say this was going to be an exciting and memorable year?" he chuckled, several of the students chuckling as well. "I have a few announcements to make…some good, some sad, and some very important. But first thing is first, as they say. As you know, most Prefect positions as well as Head Boy and Head Girl are done by Owl Post, over the summer. But due to very special circumstances that I cannot very well ignore, and to my desire to see that two students are not passed over for positions that they are without question due for, I am announcing two of those this evening. The rest, I'm sorry, will just have to wait the traditional way, but in a moment you shall understand why. For the position of Gryffindor Prefect…soon to be Sixth Year, Andrew Snape." A huge applause went up from the Gryffindor table, and an enthusiastic applause by most of the girls in his year in all the houses. "For the Position of Head Boy, and from what I understand from both faculty and students alike, very well deserved…Aurelius Snape!" A standing ovation went up at the Slytherin table, as several others from each of the other tables, not in the least being his siblings and cousins. At the head table, Jennifer was clapping almost enthusiastically enough for two, her face beaming with pride.

"And now for my next announcement, I must tell you that those last two announcements are the last two official ones I shall make for this school. As of today, I am retiring from the position." A roar of surprise and plenty of gasps went up among the students, and even a number of protests, although no one among the staff looked fazed by the announcement. Finally, Albus put up a hand. "This is a much different school than the one I had when I first took over as Headmaster. In many ways, I would like to believe I am leaving a much better school. But times do change, and I feel it necessary to make way for those changes. I must tell you honestly…that twenty years ago, I would have never dreamed to be announcing the person I shall announce for you today. Oh, don't mistake me, I had faith in him…but it actually took more faith than any one man could handle to get him this far," he said, looking over his glasses at the teachers to the left of him. They all grinned back at him. "But now, I can say with all honesty that I can think of none better, none more capable, and none more trustworthy to follow me, and no one else, I think, would make me feel as deeply honored to be announcing…might I introduce to you, your new Headmaster…Severus Snape!"

As the doors opened and Severus walked in wearing his black brocade, the students quickly recovered from shock and burst into a standing ovation of support. Hugs were passed around among his children and their friends, while Jennifer, obviously elated, couldn't control a few tears getting away as she slid over to the seat next to the Headmaster's chair as Dumbledore humbly took her old chair.

"I won't bore you with a long speech, I'm sure that can wait for those of you continuing on next year," Severus said, getting several receptive grins and even a 'thumbs up' from Zack. "I know that for many of you this is an end to a long journey…a completion of goals, as it were. It is for me as well. But all ends beget new beginnings…that is the way of our universe, and something that should be respected instead of cursed, as we all, as human, tend to do sometimes. So, I hope you the best in your new endeavors, as I hope…for your sake…that I am successful in mine," he added in a low voice, earning chuckles throughout. "Have a good summer," he concluded, and another warm applause as he sat down in the big chair, staring at his plate as if half afraid of touching it.

"So Hermione," Danny said with a mischievous grin. "Ever imagine Snape getting a standing ovation for anything when you were in school?"

"Oh, hell no," Hermione said, many of the staff laughing outright at that.

"This is really all Jennifer's fault, you know," Severus said, gazing at his wife who smiled at him.

"Oh, yes," Albus said. "I seriously doubt you'll find a single person on staff that would disagree."

"Well I won't," Hermione said.

"Not me," Danny grinned.

"Ex-students," Severus sighed.

"I would get used to it if I were you, Professor," Dumbledore warned him with a smile. "Soon enough they probably all will be. And some may even remember you pre-Jennifer."

"We should denote that," Hermione decided. "What do you think, P.J. and A.J?"

"Works for me," Danny teased. Severus sighed, while Jennifer hid a giggle.

"Don't worry, Severus. In a few hundred years, no one will remember it," Albus said.

"It sounds like I have a long road ahead of me," Severus decided.

"Yes, and don't forget about that Weasley invasion next year, Severus," Hermione said.

"Albus?" Severus said pleadingly.

"Sorry, Severus, no take-backs," Albus said, humming happily as he turned his attention to dinner.

Everybody who was anybody in the magic world, but most especially from Britain and the U.S. seemed to show up at the wedding of Severus Snape's oldest daughter…whether they were invited or not.

Fortunately, Minister Craw had been suspecting something like that would happen and had prearranged crowd control with the help of his new summer assistant, Aurelius Snape, who was currently watching the punch bowl to make sure no one tried to tamper with it.

And although Alex was getting a good fair share of the crowd, it was Severus Snape who was the very reluctant center of attention, despite the fact there were quite a number of people he wanted to see as well, including Arthur and Molly Weasley, who had helped raise the four, as well as Carol, Lupin, and their little girl, a Hogwarts hopeful. Harry was there of course, as well, but he was too busy pulling Cedric away from where he was playing with Mary Malfoy to actually pay attention.

But Severus did manage to slip away from the crowd long enough to slip over to where Sirius and Anna were standing, both stopping to bark at Zoë and Zack who were playing tag with Lindsay, who was most likely to have her dress ripped before the day was over. When Severus came over, Sirius shook his head with a smile before shaking his hand.

"I don't think I'm going to get used to it, Severus…Headmaster Snape…it just sounds so…so…wrong. Can I call you Headmaster Snivellus?" Sirius asked, getting socked in the arm by his wife.

"Severus will do," Severus said with an unpleasant smile, but Sirius simply nodded.

"By the way, that night at Azkaban…I still plan to kill you for it…but thanks, nonetheless," Sirius said in a low voice. "Don't do it again."

"Well, from what I hear, I won't need to," Severus said, glancing at Anna, who smiled. "Welcome back to the real world, Sirius."

"You expect me to believe you would be a Headmaster in the real world?" Sirius said.

"Would you have dreamed of it?" Severus asked adroitly. Sirius thought about it.

"Good point," Sirius said.

"Severus!" Jennifer called out, and Severus excused himself to go over where Alex and Jennifer were standing away from the crowd. "Severus, your daughter has something to ask you about," Jennifer said with a strange grin.

"Oh?"

"Yes, it's about…well, after we get back, you know, from our honeymoon, Muggle camping and all that," Alex said carefully. "You know how we've been talking about me working so he can go to school, and all of that?"

"Yes," Severus said suspiciously.

"Well. Ah. Well, I don't suppose you've ever seen what the prices are a month on a flat in London these days are?" Alex said. Severus turned to look at his wife.

"Oh, I'm leaving this one up to you," Jennifer said, washing her hands of it.

"Fine, you can use your grandfather's old suite until you both get on your feet," Severus sighed.

"Thanks! I knew you'd cave…I mean, thanks, appreciate it," Alex said, hurrying back in side. Severus looked back at Jennifer, who smiled.

"Sounds like we don't have to worry about the children breaking up quite yet after all," she grinned.

"Let's just hope they don't all stay," Severus said as they walked back towards the seats. Corey and Rose called out to them then, Jennifer immediately going over to take Natalie in her arms to babble spell words at her. Ashley walked up behind them, chuckling at Jennifer before hugging Rose and Corey.

"Really like being a grandmother?" Corey asked.

"She's an angel, a perfect angel," Jennifer told them, cooing at her.

"Well, that's good, because we're having another," Corey said with a lopsided grin.

"That was fast," Severus said, after Jennifer was done squealing and giving Rose a one-armed hug.

"Yeah, we're thinking about going your route and having one a year," Corey grinned. "But we're thinking about going for five."

"Sounds like we're going to be having a Willowby invasion in about twelve years, Severus," Jennifer laughed.

"And one Bailey," Ashley put in. All four of them suddenly stopped in their tracks and stared at her. "I'm pregnant too."

Rose gave her mother such a stare that Corey decided to grab the baby from Jennifer and take a few healthy steps back.

"How, exactly, are you pregnant?" Rose asked starkly.

"Well, considering you have one of your own and one on the way, I believe you know how…"

"Whose baby is it?"

"Mine, Rose."

"I mean who is the Father?"

"Oh, that's not really important, dear," Ashley said so flippantly that they gaped at her. "He was just a…contributing factor, as he calls it, and I plan on raising the baby alone. In fact, I've also put an investment down an a shop of my own in Hogsmeade."

"A contributing factor? Raise the baby alone?" Rose repeated. But Severus suddenly began to get extremely suspicious.

"Yes, Rose. I wanted a baby, and he agreed to help me…well, provided I named you as one of the godparents, Severus," Ashley said shyly.

"Oh, no," Severus said, groaning audibly. Jennifer looked at him questionably. "He's doing it again."

Jennifer, Severus, Aurelius, Andrew, and Alicia walked along the hills of Salisbury, conservatively dressed just in case as they were spotted as they walked up to Stonehenge just before noon during the Summer Solstice.

"Well, here we are," Jennifer said as the children looked around curiously.

"And here we are!" Merlin said, as he and Albus appeared coming up the other side. "I hope you don't mind, Severus, but I was tying up some loopholes in the portal system…tinkering out some of the kinks, you know, so you won't have any more problems and all of that. Oh, and this is for you," he said, bringing out a long leather wrapped parcel. Severus carefully unrolled it to find the carved wand that Toby had been working on for so long. "I thought you might like a new one, since technically your other one shouldn't exist," he winked. "But being a Headmaster now, you were about due for a new wand anyway. I think you'll find it quite suited to your talents…and don't worry, it won't come alive or anything. I think."

"Thank you," Severus said curtly but held the wand reverently nonetheless. "Now, there's something I want to ask you. About Ashley…"

"Now, Severus, that's hardly any of your business is it?" Merlin interrupted. "If you must know, I like a proper link to this world every now and again to make sure I can keep an eye on things here, memories, you know. And Ashley was not only willing, she was…well…I won't say around the children," he said in a lowered voice. Jennifer looked surprised, while Andrew looked openly disappointed. "Anyhow, do be a good sport about it and keep an eye on him. He's bound to have one extraordinary power or another."

"Lovely," Severus said.

"And you…keep up the good work," Merlin smiled, patting Severus arm. "And you, my dear, let me know if you're ever free," he said to Jennifer with a wink. Jennifer merely smiled and shook her head at him. He turned then to Albus and smiled. Albus had been saying a few quick words to the three children there, spending a little longer with Alicia before coming over to Jennifer and Severus.

"Well! I suppose everything really is in your hands now, Severus, Jennifer. I may stop by now and again for tea, if you'll have me," Albus said.

"I really don't know what we would have done without your support, Albus, I really don't," Jennifer said, hugging him.

"There, there, it's all right, Jennifer. Don't forget what your husband said…an end of one thing is just a beginning for something else. I will come visit."

"I wouldn't be here at all, were it not for you," Severus said solemnly.

"Nor would I be here had it not been for you, believe it or not," Albus smiled at him.

"We need to be going soon, Albus," Merlin said somberly. "It's almost noon."

"But we cannot leave yet! I was waiting to say goodbye to Minerva!" Albus protested.

"Are you that willing to say goodbye to me?" Minerva said, coming out behind a monolith with a suitcase in hand. Merlin smiled enigmatically at her.

"Why, no, but I wouldn't have gone without…whatever are you doing with that suitcase?" Albus said, eyes wide.

"It was a part of a package deal I bought from Toby's, Albus. 'One genuine holiday with Albus Dumbledore to Unknown Ports," Minerva said with a smile. "No school to stand in the way now, is there?"

"But what about your shop?"

"I sold it to Ashley Bailey, actually," Minerva said. Severus squinted at Merlin suspiciously, but he merely smiled at them. "We're much too old for goodbyes, Albus, please don't make me hear it."

"Oh! Well, since you put it that way…" Albus said.

"And don't forget the glasses," Merlin pointed out.

"Oh, oh yes," Albus said, taking them off. "Here, Severus, for you. They are not only good reading glasses, but they see through all kinds of invisibility. Use them well."

"So that's how he did it," Andrew and Jennifer murmured at the same time. Jennifer suddenly blushed bright red, but Albus merely winked.

"Just remember when to look the other way, Severus. And farewell, dear friends," Albus smiled, offering Minerva an arm as they went through the portal that had appeared when the sun reached its highest point.

"Take care, dear Snapes, and behave. One never knows when I'll return," Merlin added mischievously before stepping in the portal.

"So now what?" Andrew said after the portal collapsed.

"Now, we live happily ever after," Severus said in her ear, the other three shrugging for they hadn't quite heard what he said. But Jennifer had, and with a glowing overjoyed smile she followed him towards their future…one present at a time.

End of Book, End of Series.

_Readers Note: This book used to have an afterward: 14 years later, but as of now (10/08) I'm removing it since I plan on expounding on them in the future. There are also some short stories on this site that are done in a slightly different and abbreviated style than I normally do, and they are known as the Headmaster Snape mystery series...not neccessarily my best style of work, really, but it does have some important character components to them, not the least of which the introduction of Lucky, whom I hope you'll enjoy as much as I do. The order goes: Silenced Siren, Avatar, and Scale of a Dragon for those interested. In either case, thanks for coming with me this far, and I hope you enjoyed it. JCWriter_


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